Superlatives: Most Unlikely Anything revised
by ostensible
Summary: Nathan Scott and Haley James coexist in the same school but with completely different lives. As fate brings them together, they discover they have a lot more in common than they thought. Rewritten version of Superlatives: Most Unlikely Anything. NH
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** I was really anxious in writing _Superlatives: Most Unlikely Anything_, that I began to stray away from the true events that make the story complete. As much as I want to continue with what I already have written down, I'm going to rewrite the chapters that I have done so far, otherwise the story doesn't flow. Sorry to those anticipating the next chapters!

**Summary:** In this wayward version of the show _One Tree Hill_, the characters are situated a bit differently. Nathan, son of Dan and Deb Scott, is one of the most popular kids at Tree Hill High, the captain of the basketball team, and adored by anything female. Lucas Roe is the son of Karen and Keith and is a fellow athlete on the basketball team. There is no real problem between the two characters, that is, until Lucas' best friend, Haley James, begins to have some run-ins with the infamous player that is Nathan Scott. The trouble is that both Nathan and Haley belong to someone else. (**Disclaimer:** Based on a true story. I do not claim any person, idea, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

Haley James lay sprawled out on her bed, her cell phone attached to her left ear, as she doodled in a journal.

"Are you listening to me?" A male voice on the other line asked, irritation evident in his voice.

"Yes, Chris, I'm listening…"

"Okay, so, what I don't get is why this cracked out professor thinks she's so educated when it comes to…"

Haley tuned out of the conversation, more so Chris' ventilation session, once again. She glanced over at the clock that hung on her wall as her boyfriend continued gabbing about some college course that he found useless.

12:19AM.

As much as she cared about her boyfriend, his college courses were the last thing on her mind. More and more, their phone conversations had become dull and time-consuming. She didn't want to admit it but, the long-distance thing really didn't seem to be working, well on her end, anyway. He seemed to embrace it, but of course, she had no clue what he did at school when he wasn't talking to her on the phone. He was attending some performance arts university in the Midwest; she could never remember the name, while she remained in Tree Hill, North Carolina. Chris Keller had been her first real boyfriend and they'd been together for almost two and half years. She was a sophomore and he a senior, when they first met. To be honest, she had only remained faithful for one full year—the year that he was around. She had enough morals not to sleep around with anyone but she went out on the occasional date and sometimes made out with these meaningless boys.

Haley realized how estranged she and Chris had become when she saw him for less than two months in their second year of dating. He was focused on extracurricular programs provided at his school to further his musical career and she found herself out of the picture. But, for some unspoken reason, they stayed together. It didn't take a genius to figure out that, they felt safe and familiar with one another.

"Um, Chris…it's almost 12:30…" she interrupted his verbal spewing.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know it was this late,"

"It's okay. I hope that Musical Theory class picks up for you," she said blandly.

"Thanks, babe. Good luck on your first day of school. Love you,"

Even though his last words made her twinge a bit, she mechanically replied,

"Love you, too,"

With that over, she hung up her phone and collapsed onto her back. Shutting her eyes, she let the stillness of the night overtake her tired body when suddenly, her phone rang, jolting her awake. She gritted her teeth, assuming her talkative boyfriend had one more thing to say. Staring at the front LCD of her cellular phone, she was relieved to see that it was her best friend, Lucas, instead.

"You better have a good reason for calling me this late," she joked.

"Hah, a 'hello' would have sufficed, Hales," Lucas kidded back.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

For the longest time, she could remember that for the many years they'd known each other, it had become ritual to call the evening before the first of day of school. _First-day-jitters_, Lucas' mom would refer to it as. Although she hadn't forgotten their little custom, it had slipped her mind.

"Mm hmm… so, uh, why the long face?"

"Luke, you can't even see my damn face,"

"But, I can hear it in your voice, you know this,"

She did, yet, it never ceased to amaze her how well he knew her.

Haley sucked in a small amount of air before releasing a deep, heavy sigh.

"Boyfriend troubles, you know the drill,"

"Why? Is Chris being an asshole?"

Lucas had never gotten along her boyfriend and she loved him for that. He'd deal with the 'asshole' so long as he made her happy.

"Not entirely; I wish that were the case,"

"When's the last time you talked to him?"

"Just a few minutes ago,"

"Ah. You know, I've said this to you before and I'll say it again; if you've lost interest, you can't force it. It's called _free will_, Hales,"

"I know. It's just that when he's gone, it's so much easier to forget about how hard it is than to actually do something about it. Plus, I'd rather do it in person. But, because I see him so rarely, when he does visit, I'm so happy just being with him that I change my mind. Then, it starts a whole new cycle, over and over again," She wistfully explained.

"Whatever makes you the happiest, that's all I care about,"

Luke seemed unsure when he said this, but, she felt the same way—unsure of whether she was happy or not, happy at all.

--

Haley awoke the next morning, wishing her pillow could drown out the sound of her morning radio alarm. After a few more minutes of listening to the obnoxious deejay announce traffic jams, she finally staggered out of her bed and headed towards the bathroom, down the hall.

Haley stood in front of her mirror, brushing her shoulder-length, auburn-colored hair. She was never one to care too much about fashion and felt more than pleased with a pair of worn-in jeans, a simple t-shirt, and an army-green cargo jacket. She ran black mascara through her thick eyelashes and applied a dab of cream blush before grabbing her messenger book bag and heading downstairs.

The house was empty, as usual. Her father worked consistently, out of town and her mother left before she woke up for school and came home after she was in bed.

Opening up a pastry box that read, _Keith & Karen's Café_, she pulled out two scrumptious looking muffins and wrapped them individually in napkins. Placing them carefully into her bag, she then grabbed two juice boxes from her fridge. Perfected with the past couple of years as practice, her timing was excellent, for Lucas had just pulled into her driveway with his red pick-up, honking his horn.

"Ooh, breakfast!"

Lucas eagerly accepted the muffin and juice.

"Haha, I don't get how I'm the one feeding you breakfast when these are your parents' muffins,"

Keith & Karen's Café was a family-run business that belonged to Lucas' parents. Ironically, it was Haley that took evening shifts there, rather than their own son.

"Me neither," he mumbled with bits of food in his mouth.

"What's your schedule looking like? I forget…" Lucas asked.

Haley pulled out the piece of paper she had tucked away neatly in the front pocket of her jacket.

"Ugh… how evil are they to put Phys. Ed. as my first period!" She groaned.

"Two-mile runs, first thing in the morning? Sounds _typical_ to me!" Lucas sarcastically remarked.

Being apart of their school's basketball team, Lucas was quite familiar with any kind of physical activity, anytime of the day.

"See, that's because you do sports, but Haley James, does not do sports. And yet, they continue to torture me!"

"Hey, you gotta burn off some of those calories from that double chocolate-chip muffin somehow,"

"You did not…"

Haley swatted at her friend lightly for his teasing her.

"Ouch!" He complained.

"Baby!"

"Brat!"

Arriving at the school parking lot, the two hopped out of the vehicle, ready and waiting to join the crowds of their fellow returning students.

"Welcome, students, to another exciting year at Tree Hill High!"

A female announcer, probably the Principal's secretary, gave a short list events and after school activities over the loudspeaker. Students milled through the hallways, familiarizing themselves with their lockers and reacquainting themselves with their friends. As Lucas and Haley walked down the hall, they approached a small group of members of the basketball team, hovering around a particular locker.

"What's up, Luke," Jake, one of the team members, greeted him.

Haley watched with curiosity as they all shared weird, manly handshakes that turned into hugs. She never understood the gesture. The last person to acknowledge him was the ever so popular, Nathan Scott, captain of the basketball team and the owner of the locker that was the center of attention.

"Hey, bro," Nathan said coolly.

"What's goin' on, Nate,"

Haley stood planted beside her best friend, deciding whether or not she should just leave. Even though they got along well with Lucas, these people were just not her type. The captain of the Ravens basketball team suddenly noticed the petite and quiet girl that stood beside his teammate. He threw her a small smirk before turning back to another friend who had been trying to get his attention.

'Gross…' Haley thought disdainfully.

_Gross_ is not how the female student body referred to Nathan Scott. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He was blessed with good looks: deep, dark brown hair, sapphire blue eyes, and chiseled features that matched his chiseled body. On top of his good looks, he was a charmer and was well-known for his capability to sweep any girl off her feet and then just leaving her there to swoon. To match his persona, he even came fully accessorized with a cheerleader girlfriend, by the name of Peyton Sawyer.

"Nathan!"

His girlfriend had been patiently waiting for her turn to just get the chance to talk to him. When he ignored her, she scoffed, flipping her beautiful blonde curls the way an overly annoyed girl would.

"Oh, hi, Haley," Peyton said with surprise.

"Hey," Haley softly acknowledged her.

The relations between the two girls were… well, complicated. Before there had even been a Lucas and Haley, there had been Peyton. The two had been best buddies since kindergarten up until the third grade and those were years where you couldn't simply forget who you were friends with. Although, there was no hatred towards the other the reason for the splitting up was due to the fact that Peyton had started participating in gymnastics and cheerleading. Even at a young age, the two became separated as she had started hanging out with a different crowd and Haley had begun to focus on being a straight 'A' student, labeled a 'teacher's pet' by her cruel peers. The following year in fourth grade, Lucas had moved to Tree Hill and despite his aspirations as a young athlete, he stood closely by the innocent girl who was being bullied by a group of Peyton's friends. And that was how one friendship bloomed in place of one that had wilted.

Both Lucas and Nathan noticed the brief exchange between the two girls; Nathan being the only one unaware of the depth behind the situation.

"Hales, let's go,"

Lucas said protectively as he draped his arm casually around his best friend's shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, does someone have a new girlfriend he forgot to introduce?" Nathan teased.

Lucas turned to look at him with a fierce glare, before swiftly leaving the group of jocks, with Haley in tow. The expression on Nathan's face turned from one of humor to confusion and then he simply shrugged his shoulders, approaching Peyton.

"Damn, what's his deal?"

Peyton ignored her boyfriend's crude comment and let out a small puff of air.

"What's wrong?" He asked again, hoping this time for an answer.

"Nothing," she grimly answered.

"Whatever," he muttered, before leaving her to talk to another set of friends.

She rolled her eyes at his carelessness.

"P. Sawyer!" A familiar voice sang out.

Peyton turned on her heel to face the person behind the bubbly voice.

"How's life, Brooke?" She uninterestedly asked.

"Hah, like you give two shits," she mocked.

Being friends with Peyton for long enough, she seemed to be the only person who knew who to handle the blonde's hostile demeanor.

"Sorry, bad morning,"

"How you've lasted this long as a cheerleader, is beyond me. By the way, what is up with Lucas Roe? He is looking mighty fine… but, what's with that mousy looking girl he's with? Isn't that the girl that he's been best friends with since like middle school?"

Brooke Davis, captain of the cheer squad, had come to Tree Hill during middle school and was fully oblivious to the story behind Peyton and Haley's ex-relationship. Peyton kind of saw Brooke as the female version of Nathan, with her sleek chocolate-toned hair, and a body that many girls envied. The difference between her boyfriend and her best friend was that Brooke actually revealed bits and pieces of herself unlike Nathan who was a stone-cold wall.

Ignoring her comment about Haley, Peyton asked,

"As long as we've been going to school with Lucas, how are you _just_ noticing him?"

"Oh, so you've noticed, too?" Brooke challenged.

Before the befuddled blonde could come back with a smart reply, her boyfriend interrupted,

"Noticed what?"

"Hmm… that you're a fuck face?" Brooke suggested deviously.

"Who's gonna fuck your face?!"

One of Nathan's idiot cronies, Tim Smith, excitedly interjected. It was obvious, what was on his mind, all the time.

Nathan laughed out loud and even Peyton had to stifle back a giggle.

"Shut up, _Dim_, or I'll make sure you, can never fuck anything, ever again, not that you ever have, anyway," She smoothly shot back.

"Ouch," he said out loud, as he cupped his crotch with his hands.

"Dim, please do not fondle yourself in public," Brooke commanded.

The bell rang loudly, overpowering the laughter that came from the group of friends around Nathan's locker.

"Come on, Brooke, walk me to class," Peyton said as she linked arms with her friend.

"Nate dawg, will you walk me to class?" Tim asked in his best feminine voice, his attempt at making fun of the two girls.

"Faggot is, as faggot does!" Brooke yelled, flipping him her middle finger without turning back.

"She wants me," Tim let out a breathy sigh.

Nathan shook his head in pity, unable to understand his friend's theory.

"You are so full of it, Tim," he said with a smirk.

"Full of what? Charisma? Sex-appeal?"

"Don't ever say that shit to me again,"

"Nate dawg, come on!"


	2. Chapter 2

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any character, idea, plotline, etc. that is related the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

**Author's note:** I know I'm probably annoying a lot of you readers by choosing to rewrite this story, but I hope you guys enjoy the revised version, anyway. Thanks for the reviews! Enjoy! **xoxo**

--

Haley occupied a table amidst many others in the outside courtyard of the school. Remnants of summer could be felt by the easy Carolina breeze and the heat of the sun, warming Haley's cheeks as she immersed herself in a very recent assignment. She highlighted key points in her history text as she occasionally popped grapes into her mouth, finding it difficult to enjoy her food all alone. She hadn't bothered to see if Lucas had the same lunch as she did and so far, there were no signs of her best friend's whereabouts.

Over the years, Haley had perfected the studying skill of ignoring outside distractions, allowing her to concentrate on her work. For some reason, the table directly behind her seemed to be overpowering her practiced skill. The boyish uproar of laughter and clatter was slowly digging its way under her skin. Apart from tolerating their completely inappropriate and vulgar jokes, she'd dealt with their horsing around and how close they came to pushing her out of her seat.

'Stay calm. After all, boys will be boys. Scratch that. Dumbshits will be dumbshits,' she mentally assured herself.

She could hardly focus on her work and now she was talking to herself. She just really felt like hitting herself in the head. But then, someone else did the job for her—with a greasy French fry.

She immediately swiveled in her seat to see those idiotic boys laughing, acting as if nothing had happened. How could she not have expected arrogance on top of ignorance?

"What's so damn funny?" she seethed, barking to no one in particular.

In her blind rage, she did not recognize these boys to be friends of Lucas and members of the basketball team. All of the boys stared at each other quizzically, all except for one. Nathan sat with his arms crossed against his chest and steely blue eyes transfixed on her. He was utterly amused that this was the same quiet, little girl that was attached to Lucas' hip. She seemed to be staring directly at him and yet, his face must not have been registering in her brain. No one just _forgot_ Nathan's face.

Haley still had the French fry in her hand and held it up in the air, threateningly.

"I said, what's so damn funny?"

"Uh… we weren't laughing at you," One of the team members replied.

Another one of the guys realized the piece of the food that they had thrown, had unfortunately, landed on her. Yet, he remained silent.

"Don't you ever, _ever_ throw food at me again,"

And that was as far as she went, sitting back down at her table. Of course, by now, she had full attention of the entire courtyard, including her approaching friend. After all, when did you get the chance to see one small girl up against an entire sports team?

Haley fumed with angst, ignoring the whispers and snickering of her peers and pretending to read her U.S. History book, once again.

"Hales, you okay?" Lucas asked as he plopped down into the seat across from hers.

She grunted what seemed a confirmation.

"What happened?" he tried again.

"One of those jackasses thought it would be funny to throw food at me!" she said loud enough so anyone who was still paying attention could hear.

He glanced over at the jock table, a little upset at this revelation but all of his teammates shrugged, confused by her outrage. But, he trusted his friend and knew that if she was that angry, something or someone had sparked it. He gave them threatening looks, as well, and continued trying to comfort his upset friend.

Nathan continued watching the interaction of these two friends and an unfamiliar feeling washed over him. Was that… envy? He brushed off the emotion as quickly as it came and masked it as simple curiosity towards a girl. He hadn't hooked up with her and she certainly didn't seem to have a care in the world for him unlike every other girl from school.

'It's just curiosity,' he told himself.

Then he turned over to Vegas, one of his teammates, who was responsible for the airborne French fry and threw him a nasty sneer.

Vegas replied both anxiously and angrily by quietly mouthing, "What?!"

--

"So, I'll meet you in the parking lot after school, okay?" Lucas confirmed with his best friend.

She nodded, looking forward to that point of her day—the end of school.

"Hey, you're gonna be alright," he encouragingly said, placing a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"I know," she gave a small pout.

"Only… three hours and forty-five minutes left until the day is over," he cheerfully stated.

"Ugh… don't remind me,"

He chuckled before saying, "See ya, Hales,"

The two had stopped walking once they reached her fifth period class, SAT Prep, and she watched her friend depart.

'Typical,' she thought disdainfully, upon entering the empty classroom.

There were several students, obviously a bit more _ambitious_ than she was, but even the teacher hadn't arrived yet. The desks were arranged in groups of four, so she chose one, hoping someone she might know would be in the same class. She opened a novel, to buy time as she noticed blonde-haired, blue-eyed, and bubbly sophomores began arriving. They seemed to know each other as they grabbed tables together, stirring up conversations about their summer vacations. She noticed the tones of the girls' voices changing as several jocks came strolling in, none that were too close with Lucas, though.

The room was filling up gradually and no one had chosen to sit with her. Haley cringed when the bell rang and tucked her head between her folded arms, cheek against her desk. The buzz in the classroom began to increase when the students realized that there was still no instructor. She heard a few stragglers coming into the classroom, sighing with relief that the teacher seemed to be absent. Then, finally, she felt the movement from the desk across from her as a chair was pulled out. She lifted her head to meet eyes with none other than the infamous, cerulean blue ones of Nathan Scott, or rather _Peyton Sawyer's boyfriend_. No matter how strained the relationship between the two girls was Haley undoubtedly agreed that her ex-best friend could do much better than Nathan. He was well-known for his promiscuity as well as he was known for his basketball talents and good looks.

'What were the odds?'

Nathan considered this as he saw the same girl that seemed to peak his interest. Haley—how he knew her name, he didn't know, but he didn't reject it. He nodded acknowledgement to some of the other athletes in the classroom and ignored the giggly outbursts of some of the girls as he headed toward his destination. As he seated himself comfortably across from her, he could barely contain the smile on his face as she looked up at him. But, there it was, that blank, uninterested, almost disgusted stare.

Haley took in the grin on his face; it was different from his typical smirks. She was trying to determine if he gave that same one to all the girls or just girls he wasn't planning on screwing. It was probably the latter. When it dawned on her that she was staring, she forced a plastered smile, which he noticed.

"Hey, my name's Nathan—"

"Yeah, I know who you are…"

'Damn, someone needs a happy meal,' he thought consciously.

"Oh, so, how well do you know me?" he asked cockily.

"Everyone knows who you are," she said knowingly.

'Since you are _the_ man whore, varsity basketball captain, and _jackass of the year_,' she thought with a small smile.

He continued smirking, knowing all too well her mental observation of him.

"Haley, right?" he asked nonchalantly.

She was downright stunned. How did he know her name? He most likely forgot half of the names of the girls that he messed around with.

"Yeah… how… how did—"

"Don't act so surprised. You're Lucas' girlfriend, aren't you?"

The shock wore off quickly.

"Lucas' friend," she corrected.

"If that's your story…"

Her jaw dropped a bit and she scoffed before informing her new acquaintance,

"Lucas and I are just best friends; have been forever. Anyway, I'm happily taken by someone else."

The news was admittedly both interesting and disappointing to Nathan's ears.

The hormonal sophomore girls that were in the class had instantly noticed Nathan from when he had first walked in, cooing at his being. He didn't seem to notice their stares and disapproving whispers when he had chosen to join Haley's table, willingly. It made Haley feel extremely uneasy and at the same time, satisfied at the bitter looks on their faces.

"So, why were you yelling at me?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Huh?"

Haley's memory of that occasion was a blur and she definitely didn't remember seeing his smug ass face there.

"At lunch—why were you yelling at me?"

"What? I wasn't yelling at you!" she declared.

"Yeah, you were,"

She felt embarrassed because he seemed to think so highly of himself that she was yelling at him when she didn't even remember him being at that table and didn't want to embarrass him. Ironic and awkward as the situation was, she continued defending herself.

"I don't even remember who I was yelling at! The people at that table were laughing at my expense after someone threw their food at me, which wouldn't happen to be you, was it? That would be the only reason I was yelling at you, even though, I don't recall seeing you there,"

"We really weren't laughing at you,"

"Well, I _really_ wasn't yelling at you,"

"Uh huh…" he said, sounding unconvinced.

And it bothered her. Before Haley could further prove her point, a dark, frizzy-haired woman wearing a scornful frown came striding in, presumably the teacher.

--

_Dear Journal,_

_The first day of school was… it was whatever. Kind of a bad day but, anyway… I'm still alive. I flipped out on a group of jock-strapped idiots. Someone threw a French fry at my head! I definitely had the right to freak. Most of my classes seem pretty hard but, I think I'll manage._

_I'm tired of Chris, to be honest. I care about him a lot and he really is a good boyfriend, just sometimes I feel like he's overly good. We never argue and if I get upset about something, he just bends over backwards to make everything better. He never defends himself or has an opinion. I know he misses home and all and that's one of the reasons I can't break up with him; especially over the phone. He does seem to like his school and all… a couple of nights ago he told me some guys took him to a bar where they were taking body shots of tequila. I don't even care! I'm not even jealous or suspicious! Either, I totally trust him or I give a rat's ass about what he does._

_I keep telling myself that when he comes home, I'll finally do it. I'll tell him the truth about… those three other guys I kind of hooked up with… I'm such a whore. Ahhh! I just want to break up with him because when he's gone it sucks! I can't do this long distance thing! I'm only sixteen and I want to enjoy my life, damn it! But, when he comes for breaks (which is like what? Two months out of the year?) I'm so happy that I enjoy that immediacy of him being near versus the shit I go through when he's gone. It's not fair for him and most of all, not fair for me. Am I being selfish?_

_I just want to be happy, which is impossible with Mom and Dad riding my ass all the time, about everything! They hate Chris, they hate me, they hate everything about what I do. When Dad's home, Mom acts a little bit cooler but when he's working late, she can be such a bitch! She's always comparing me to Quinn and Taylor. Of all people to compare me to—Taylor?! She's psycho. I just want to leave and they keep reminding me that unless I don't get a full scholarship with an out-of-state school, there's no way in hell I'm leaving North Carolina._

_Anyway, at least I have Luke._

Haley lay on her front side, scribbling away passionately in a plain composition notebook. As dorky as it made her feel that she had a 'diary', it was a way for her to ventilate without smashing something against a wall. Closing her journal and tucking it away under her mattress, she lay back into her bed.

The house was eerily quiet. After having grown up with four older siblings, it was a discomfort to be alone. Her father frequently worked late evenings and her mother was out, probably enjoying _Happy Hour_ with a bunch of her co-workers. She actually preferred when her mom wasn't around. Haley felt like her parents were sick of raising kids and had given up on the youngest child. They were her parents and of course they loved her, but something else was dwelling in their hearts. They had taken a turn for the worse, a little before Taylor's departure from the James' residence, leaving Haley to deal with it alone. Secretly, her vulnerability was hurting her but that was for her to know and her only.

The dreaded sound of cell phone went off, awakening her from her thoughts. Without getting up from her position on the bed, she blindly grabbed it off her nightstand.

"Hello?"

"What's wrong, Haley?" Chris asked.

"Hey, Chris, uh… nothing's wrong,"

"Are you sure?"

She inhaled a sharp breath fighting the urge to break it off with him right then and there.

"Haley?" he asked again worriedly.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she answered, "I'm fine. How's your day going?"

"I'm glad everything is okay. My day's been pretty good…"

It was clear in the way he changed his tone of voice that he didn't want to push the topic. She recognized his welcoming of a change of subject because he never wanted to push her.

As Chris gushed about some artsy coffeehouse he wanted to perform at, Haley recalled her Physics class that day where the Mr. Jenson had dove right into the curriculum. Looking through the text book, there was a simplistic cartoon of a man exerting force to a box from one side. As Mr. Jenson's lesson plan began to bore her, she began to daydreaming and somehow she began to imagine Chris pushing one side of the box, while she pushed the other. Except, Chris had stopped pushing at all, meaning there was no reason for her to push as well. The box wasn't going anywhere, and neither were they.

"So, what do you think?" Chris excitedly asked.

"Mm… I think it's great,"


	3. Chapter 3

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any idea, character, plotline, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

**Author's note:** Just a reminder to you awesome readers, all the general events that have taken place in this story, so far, are all based on my true story. Of course, the conversations and some of the ideas have evolved to correlate with the characters of _One Tree Hill_. Anyway, if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to do so! Thanks a lot for those of you who are having fun reading this story. **xoxo**

--

"I'd like the Apple Crumble Cake and a cup of the House blend, please,"

"Okay… and for you, sir?"

"I'll take a slice of that Peach-Apricot pie and a French roast, little lady,"

"Alright, I'll be back with you folks, shortly,"

Haley left her patrons with a warm smile as she walked behind the counter to gather their order. She was working her after-school shift at Keith & Karen's, which was typically slow. The café's busiest hours were in the morning, mid-afternoon, weeknights and of course, weekends. This gave her an opportunity to earn some extra money and be in the vicinity of people since her home was usually empty.

Karen popped out of the kitchen carrying a couple of plated sandwiches.

"Haley, honey, Keith's going to make a delivery for me; so I'll be in the kitchen. Do you think you can handle the front?"

Haley gave her a 'duh' expression, gesturing to the older couple she had just served and two other individuals, who were quietly enjoying their newspapers.

Karen smiled, always amused by the young girl's antics, before walking over to serve her waiting customers. Haley watched Lucas' mom tending to those customers with the same mothering care that she did with everyone, including her. She appreciated having the Roe's in her life because somehow they had provided a bit of togetherness that filled the void from her own family's doing. Karen winked at Haley before returning to her kitchen to prepare for the likely busy evening.

Carrying two different coffee pots to the patron couple, Haley recognized the tinkle of bells as the front door opened.

"Welcome to Keith and… Lucas!"

She kindly greeted her exhausted looking friend, who plopped down onto a stool by the front counter. After she had handed them their desserts, she went to take her place behind the register to catch up with Lucas.

"Where's Mom and Dad?"

"Keith went to go make a delivery and your mom's in the back,"

"Ah…" he said tiredly, propping his head to the side, with one hand.

"I'm assuming practice was rough?"

"Uh? Yeah, pretty much. No matter how much you try to train during the summer, Whitey always knows how to break you down,"

"Remind me why he goes by Whitey, again?" Haley giggled softly, referring to the basketball coach.

"Beats me, Hales,"

"Sounds a little racial to me…"

"Haha… now that you mention it—"

Lucas began before he was interrupted by the bells signaling the entrance of a customer.

"Welcome to Keith and… and Karen's," Haley had hesitated, surprised to see a familiar schoolmate.

"Hey, Luke and Luke's girlfriend slash best friend slash hip-attachment," Brooke greeted the two.

Haley scowled at the overbearing cheerleader, who was eyeing Lucas with a very scandalous stare, licking her lips briefly.

"Uh… hi, Brooke. Um… Haley is not my girlfriend slash hip-attachment,"

Brooke peered over at the short, brown-haired curiosity that was Haley James. How was it that this… this little _thing_ was always with Lucas Roe, who had suddenly become a very delicious target on her _to-do list_.

"Good to know," she said in a low, sexy voice.

"Haley, why are you looking at me like that? Just because you're his best friend doesn't mean I can't have a conversation with the guy," Brooke said exasperatedly.

Haley was at a loss of words, probably from a combination of the head cheerleader addressing her by her first name (for the first time ever) and that she had accused her of being jealous… about Lucas! Yuck.

Next, the courageous brunette swiftly pulled a pen out of Haley's front apron pocket and reached for Lucas' right hand.

"Anyway, Superstar, give me a call, sometime,"

And she scribbled her number into his palm, lingering her touch a bit longer than necessary. She dropped the pen onto the counter and turned to leave.

Watching her depart, Haley then sighed softly,

"She didn't even order anything!"

There was no reply from her best friend. Lucas was preoccupied, feeling slightly dazed from the assertiveness of Brooke, staring dreamily at his right palm. Catching sight of his behavior, which she believed to be fatigue rather than fascination, she rolled her eyes before going to collect the polished off plates of the café guests.

--

"Peyton, if you know he's like that, then why do you deal with it?"

"Gee, Brooke, I don't know. Why don't we ask all your boy toys the same about you?"

Peyton hated bringing up the subject about Nathan and his unfaithful ways. Every time the subject of her boyfriend was brought up, it left a bad taste in her mouth. He tended to stray a lot but she felt too fed up to deal with it and too comfortable to end it. He was the epitome of good looks with a bad boy charm that even she was so used to, to make up for his inappropriate decisions.

"Damn… unleash the freakin' beast, why don't you?" Brooke said, trying to hide the hurt.

As she played around in her sketchbook, doodling furiously, Peyton stopped for an instant, noticing her rude mistake.

"I'm sorry. You shouldn't get shit for the crap that he pulls,"

"It's okay," Brooke said cheerfully.

She was always so quick to forgive and forget.

"There's a reason I'm talking to you and not with Nathan, so, let's not talk about him, anymore,"

"Sure thing, Goldie. But, you know, if you ever _do_ want to talk about it… you know who to come to, right? Anyway, since you _did_ mention 'boy toys'…" Brooke continued.

"Haha… only you could turn a bitchy insult into a topic of conversation," Peyton laughed.

Brooke smiled over the phone and began spilling to her best friend about her encounter with the apple of her eye, for the moment, anyhow.

"I went to this small little coffee shop across the street from that dorky music store you're always dragging me to—"

"Oh, you mean the one that doesn't play _50 cent_ and all those other pathetic excuses for what _some_ people refer to as music?"

(**Author's note:** If you're a 50 cent fan, I apologize! Just keeping Peyton Sawyer in character! Hee.)

"Are you talking about the coffee shop or the weirdo-freak music store?"

"If you were here in person and had said that, I'd claw out your eyeballs,"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I get it. The whole bad ass, plaid skirt Gwen Stefani thing you've got goin' on."

Peyton scowled at her friend's comment.

"P.S., Gwen Stefani is **not** bad ass,"

"Whatever! Can we please stay on topic?"

"Proceed,"

"So, I'm feeling something pastry-like or some shit like that and decide to go in when through the glass window, I see, none other than the sexy _Mr. Jersey Number Three_—Lucas,"

"Lucas, as in Haley's Lucas?" Peyton asked, her eyes round with shock.

"Ugh… yeah, she was there too—works there, I think. Anyway, Luke clearly stated that she isn't his and he isn't hers… they're just best friends. Even if it is impossible for girls and guys to be _best friends_,"

She considered telling Brooke about her little falling out with Haley—Would Lucas care that Brooke was best friends with his best friend's ex-best friend? She was never able to understand his opinion about her, not that it mattered to her, but now that Brooke was obviously pursuing him, she couldn't help but to wonder. Okay, well maybe it was too complex and not worth the effort. If he really liked her for simply being her, then he would care less about Peyton being her friend. Besides, judging by Brooke's random acts of loyalty, she'd probably force herself to forget about Lucas, even though she was acting more ecstatic than usual about just a guy.

"But, you know, I was kind of checking out his friend…"

"Whoa, there. Is it Lucas or Haley that you're digging?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, as she lay on her side, atop her bed, playing with a loose thread on her gold-colored sheets.

"Anyway! She was looking rather cute with this innocent-awkward look on her face and those plain Jane clothes she wears,"

"Well, that answers my question,"

"No, seriously! What I would do to be able to give that girl a makeover!"

Her voice was high-pitched with enthusiasm.

Feeling uncomfortable with the subject matter of Haley James, Peyton didn't remark on Brooke's sudden interest on not only Lucas, but his best friend, as well.

"So, uh, when do you think he'll call you?" Peyton asked out of genuine curiosity.

It was a tiny tradition they held, estimating the hours it would take for a guy to call Brooke; they never had to use measurements of more than hours. The current record was a little under twenty hours held by a UNCW student, by the name of Dean. Of course, this game didn't apply to Peyton, with her dating Nathan.

The manner in Brooke's voice leapt from excited to stern.

"To be totally honest… I really don't know…"

She was _never_ unsure about one of her male endeavors.

"Come on. You're hot… he's hot… what else is there that completes the equation: hot sex?" Peyton joked.

Brooke winced at the second mention of her typical sexual exploitations.

"Yeah, well… what if I said that I don't care about _just_ the sex this time?" Brooke indignantly stated.

"I'd say that you're lying," Peyton replied without consideration.

"Well, I'd say that you're right," Brooke sighed.

But, both girls knew that Brooke's final statement was false; to what extent, neither was too sure.

--

Haley got home a little after ten o'clock. Seeing how busy the café had gotten near the end of her shift around 5:30pm, she offered to stay till close, which Karen gratefully accepted. Even with the added help from Lucas, the evening bustled with the traffic of customers. When it seemed one party left, another was there to replace their seats.

She stopped to check her face in the mirror that hung in the front foyer. Gravity and fatigue seemed to have worked its way into her facial features which showed obvious signs of exhaustion; her eyes were glazed over and slightly pink and dark contours had started to appear under them. Making her way to the staircase, she then noticed that the kitchen light was on.

"Where have you been all night?"

Haley stood at the doorway of the kitchen, stunned to see her mother sitting at the breakfast table, next to a bag of Chinese take-out.

"Mom, what are you doing home… so…"

"So… what?—So early? I'm not being an inconvenience to you, am I?" Lydia James brashly suggested.

"No. You just aren't home at this time or you're already sleeping… normally…"

Her mother scoffed dramatically.

"Funny how the one night I try to be home and have some dinner for you, might I add, you don't even show up! This must be an everyday thing that you're pulling, staying out late, doing God knows what!"

"Uh… I've been working. I helped Karen close out today because they were really busy at the café,"

She did **not** need this tonight. Her mom had no right to attack her this way when she decided that suddenly she'd be 'Super Mom' and be home when Haley was. Wow, 1 out of 365. Good job, Mom!

Her mother eyed her suspiciously as if she were lying, scrutinizing her daughter's face. Her eyes widened and she let out a small gasp.

"Are you… hi… high?!"

She couldn't help but to laugh in Lydia's face.

"You… you are, aren't you?!"

"Of all things to accuse me of… I'm not Taylor, Mom, I have a bit more dignity that that!" she spat out angrily.

"Don't talk that way about your sister! If you aren't then why do your eyes look so bloodshot?"

"Because they are… because I'm tired! Geez, what do you want me to say? Would it make you feel better that I was, so there's one more thing you can point out wrong about me?"

"You're already home late and blew me off, Haley, what further wrong is there to point out?"

"Ugh… you tell me! Because it seems like you're trying really hard to find a couple more things wrong about me,"

Her mom was struggling to find anymore reason to fight with her daughter, feeling defeated at the fact that Haley would even talk back. She knew she took advantage that her youngest daughter was much softer spoken and respectful than her elder sisters. She was growing weary from the five children she'd raised and grown, all leaving her behind to pursue their personal ambitions. The youngest James seemed the most successful at her age and Lydia was bitter that she may be even further estranged from her own mother than her siblings already were. Her relationship with her husband was almost nonexistent but she felt so far in her life that starting anew seemed impossible. She put the blame elsewhere and who else was there in the line of fire because Jimmy, her husband, certainly wasn't around enough _to_ blame.

"Try being home more often, Mom! Then, the one night that you actually decide to _be around_ won't be such a waste of your time! Oh, and you might figure out that I'm not the pothead that Taylor was!"

Haley stomped away from the kitchen and escaped to the private quarters of her bedroom. Tears filled her eyes, more from anguish than sadness. She slammed her door and locked it shut, tossing her things onto the floor. She then sank into the comforter on her bed and laid her tear-stained face onto her pillow, allowing her emotions to lull her into a deep sleep.

--

"C'mon, pick up, pick up," Chris said to no one in particular.

It was the seventh time in the past hour that he had been trying to get a hold of Haley. His calls kept reaching her voicemail and she hadn't returned any of them. This was so unlike her. It had become habitual to receive a phone call from her before she went to bed, even if it was for only a couple minutes. Otherwise, he'd call her and they'd have their nightly conversations. He was worried, but he wasn't about to call her home line. Mr. and Mrs. James were not his favorite people and he knew how much they disapproved of his dating their daughter.

"Chris! I'm about to head over to Kelly's—you're coming, right?"

His roommate, Matt, stepped out of the bathroom in basketball shorts and sifted through the closet, getting ready to go out.

"Yeah, man, one sec…"

"Is that the high school chick you're seeing? Holly?"

"You mean, Haley. She's not picking up any of my calls," Chris said, aggravation underlying his tone of voice.

"I told you, bro, high school girls are way flakey. A relationship with a high school student is like an oxymoron or something pretty close to that. They just don't work," Matt informed him casually, as he slid on a pair of ratty jeans.

Chris tried to ignore his friend's more than true observation.

"Hey, Haley, it's Chris… again. Where the hell are you? I'm worried… give me a call and let me know if you're okay. Bye,"

Matt shook his head in pity. This girl who his roommate pined over had to be some goddess. Then again, there were a lot of guys that he knew that were pressed over their hometown sweethearts, just like Chris.

--

"Oh my God, Chris…" Haley whispered irritably, after seeing the number of missed calls on her phone.

She had been awoken by the umpteenth time her cell phone had gone off and had tried to silence it each time, not bothering to see who the caller was.

It started vibrating in her hands when she finally ripped the battery out and tossed it to the floor, collapsing her head back onto her pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any idea, character, plotline, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

**Author's note:** I love all the reviews and I definitely had to comply with **cheerrrgurl71**'s request. Hope you guys like how the story is piecing together. I do. So far, in all of these revised chapters, I've been able to use my real life situations for almost every 'scene'. Except for this chapter, really. (Scroll down to the bottom to find out what portions of this chapter are based on my real life events!)

--

Nathan was lying comfortably on a leather couch in Peyton's living room, waiting while she took a shower to head out to some party. He flipped through the channels on the television, hoping he could find something to distract himself while she got ready. Fed up with his range of selections, he got up from the sofa, pacing the side of the room where framed family photos sat on a wooden shelf. Disinterestedly he gawked at cute pictures of a curly-haired toddler who had somehow evolved into an angst-ridden, sardonic teenager by the name of Peyton Sawyer. He chuckled to himself, seeing a photo where she had smiled obviously because the photographer had forced her to, rather than her wanting to.

He scanned the lower shelves, coming across several, thick, bound albums. He grabbed a random one, dated less than a decade ago, and slouched back into the couch. He perused quickly, overlooking pictures of grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.

Nathan came across a page that had a picture of what looked like one of his girlfriend's earlier birthday parties—a pool party. He carefully studied a photo of fifteen or more children, clad in swimming suits and big grins on their faces. He smirked, recognizing seven-year-old versions of some of the people he knew, today. There was Tim, with his arm around a girl, showing off his missing two front teeth and Skills with neon purple goggles perched atop his forehead and matching swim trunks. He even saw Bevin, one of Peyton's cheerleader friends, with pigtails and chubby cheeks.

Just as he was ready to turn to the next page, his eyes fell upon the dead center of the photograph where a familiar face stared back at him, beaming brightly. Taking in her appearance, he noticed that she used to have much lighter hair with glints of reddish-gold, but she had those same chocolate brown eyes and those same pouty lips. She and an eight-year-old Peyton held hands tightly, arms raised in the air. It was obvious the girls two had been best friends for on each wrist were matching rainbow-beaded bracelets.

'Peyton and… Haley? Haley James? Who would've guessed…?' he thought with astonishment.

He curiously flipped through the next pages, looking specifically for the pictures that included Haley. He was so involved with the photographs that he didn't even hear the ascending footsteps of his girlfriend, coming down the stairs.

Peyton felt uneasy when she heard that the television wasn't even on—no sounds at all coming from Nathan.

'That jackass didn't leave did he?' she mentally cursed him.

When she came down the stairs, she was surprised to see him sitting up on the couch, seemingly wrapped up in… a book?! First, it was Brooke's queer obsession with Haley and now Nathan was reading a book? Hell must've frozen over.

"Nathan, what are you reading?"

He turned around quickly, his shoulders tensing up. He had this bizarre feeling of getting caught in the act of staring at pictures of his girlfriend's ex-best friend with stalker-like motives. It was a brand new emotion, but he recovered just as fast.

"Why the hell would I be reading? I was just looking at these birthday party pics of you, when you were little. Man, Tim has always been a pervert, huh?"

Peyton threw him a suspicious glance. Since when did her boyfriend even bother to notice anything in her house besides her fridge, television, and bedroom? But, she ignored it.

"Yeah, he's still the same little skeeve, I knew back then,"

"Uh huh… hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot,"

"Who's your best friend in these photos? She looks really familiar…"

--

"Hey, Hales, what's up?" Luke answered his phone, cheerfully.

"What are you doing?" she softly asked.

"I'm actually at the river court with a couple of guys. Is something wrong?"

"I just want to hang out with my best friend, that's all…"

"Yeah… okay, seriously, what's the matter?"

"I just need to get out of the house…"

Knowing Haley for the number of years that he did, it was easy to tell when she just wanted to get away from her parents. Mr. and Mrs. James weren't bad people, but all the same, he didn't like how they forgot about certain things with their daughter. Sometimes, it was that they forgot how old she really was, treating her far too maturely than she could handle. Or it would be that they forgot an event or date that was of the utmost importance to her. And that's when Haley had allowed Karen to step in, offering the role of surrogate mother to her son's best friend.

"Is it your mom?" he asked delicately.

"Mm hmm…" she nodded, even if he wasn't physically there to see her.

She needed some kind of excuse to get out of the house during a weekend; otherwise, she'd have nowhere to go. After the fight with her mom, she felt uncomfortable and Lydia wasn't making it any easier for her daughter.

"Do you want me to scoop you up?"

"You drove to the river court?"

The river court was a cozy park with a well kempt basketball court, where Lucas had practiced for ages and Haley had tagged along. Nestled between it and the town, was a lazy river, thus the name 'river court'. From both of their homes', it took approximately three-five minutes to walk there and that was how they took advantage of it when they were much younger. To this day, they walked to their little haven, despite having Lucas' car readily available.

"Nah, of course I walked. I could come meet you at your house and we can walk together. It is getting dark,"

"No, it's okay. Please… this is Tree Hill and it's only a couple of minutes away. Thanks for the offer,"

"You sure, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll call you when I'm almost there,"

"Alright. See you soon,"

Haley decided she'd grab a pair of warm, black yoga pants and a fitted, zip-up hooded sweatshirt. She tied her hair into a sloppy bun and slipped into a pair of comfortable sneakers. Leaving her bedroom, she could hear her mom watching some soap opera as in blared in the master bedroom. Peeking through the crack of the door, she observed a glass of dark liquor and a handle of Jack Daniel's on her mother's bedside table.

She tapped on the door with the back of her hand, before opening the door ajar. Her mom looked at her briefly before turning attention immediately back onto her show.

"Mom, I'm going to hang out with Lucas,"

Mrs. James continued watching the show as she spoke,

"Okay, just don't come home too late,"

"I—"

"Why you hang out with boys all the time; beats me… what other people must think about you…" she muttered.

Her mom's last words always had to sting a little.

"Bye," Haley dryly said before shutting her door completely.

--

Peyton looked at the photograph with mixed emotions of nostalgia, suspicion, and even a tiny bit of jealousy.

"That's… um, Lucas' friend—Haley James. Do you know her?"

She really wanted to ask why he cared, in the first place.

"Oh, now I know who that is,"

"How do you… uh… know her?"

"Oh, you know how she's always clinging to Luke, so I see her a lot whenever I see him. And… um… I think we have SAT Prep together,"

"Ah,"

Peyton's eyes widened with false enthusiasm about the topic.

"Why so curious, Nathan?"

He responded to her sly question with a distasteful look.

"Huh? I was just wondering, seeing how buddy-buddy you were with the girl, why you aren't friends, anymore. Your popularity didn't get in the way, did it? Or was it your bitchy attitude that ended it?"

Peyton scoffed. She had often discussed with her boyfriend how vain and arrogant it was to manipulate 'popularity' the way that he did. Yet, she never jumped off the bandwagon. She kept her distance from the conniving girls and idiotic boys that they hung out with, all except for Brooke. Overall, she was just as _involved_ as he was.

Where his sudden outburst had come from, she had no clue. As usual, his seeming bipolar tendencies would come around to bite her in the ass.

"Fuck you,"

She stood up defiantly, turning towards the staircase to return to the confinements of her room.

Nathan instantly regretted his words, not because he had hurt her feelings, but because he had planned on partying with her, not fighting with her. He confused himself, getting worked up over nothing… over a girl that he hardly knew. Peyton hadn't asked him about his sudden interest in an accusatory manner, but out of her own curiosity because she had the right to. She was his girlfriend, after all.

He stood up with her, reaching for her arm. She jerked away from him as if he were crazy for touching her.

"Peyt, I'm sorry,"

"Ha, your _sorry_ doesn't cut it; in fact, your _sorry's_ never cut it!"

"Look, I really am sorry about what I said. Let's just get to the party and have a good time. I've been looking forward to this all week," he said apologetically.

"Are you kidding me? You've been looking forward to this party, so you can add another chick to your list of girls you've cheated on me with! I mean, what's another girl on top of all the other nameless whores you've messed around with, behind my back? Oh, and by the way, Nate, _she_ won't be there. You know that's not her crowd and whatever else it is that you know about her. And what I do remember about Haley is that she doesn't do shit-faced assholes, like you,"

"I'm not going to screw around with other girls. I told you I was sorry for those times that I hurt you, Peyton. But, if you're going to be like this, then fuck it. I'll have fun on my own. Just when you're moping around in your room, by yourself, don't expect me to be there to pick up the pieces! And where the hell do you get the idea that I'm interested in Haley?"

Peyton let out a breathy laugh before ending the dispute.

"I didn't, Nathan. I got the idea that you wanted to hook up with her, not that you were _actually_ interested,"

She then ran her fingers through her tousled blonde curls before walking up the steps to her room.

Nathan was speechless and his girlfriend's last words had drained all the fight out of him. He didn't even consider going after her. He ignored the photo album that he had left open, at a page that held a picture of a young Haley James, clutching what looked like a wrapped birthday gift, for her best friend. He absentmindedly swiped his keys off of the coffee table and walked to exit the Sawyers' residence.

Slowly getting into his SUV, he sat there for a few seconds, collecting his blur of thoughts and putting them into order. He glanced once more at Peyton's bedroom window, seeing that the light had flickered on, before pulling out and driving away.

At least, he was going to Tim's to drink—maybe he'd forget about tonight's mishaps. The last thing he wanted to remember were Peyton's last words, but they kept reverberating in his brain. He turned the volume up to whatever rap album he had in his CD player, trying to tune out the mental noise in his head.

--

Haley pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head, protecting her ears from the cool breeze. As beautiful as North Carolina was, all year long, its seasons were defined clearly by the change in temperature. It was late in October, which was obvious with the pumpkins strewn about on various neighbors' front porches, along with other Halloween decorations. She smiled at the stars shining overhead, as she began to cross the vacant street.

She heard hip-hop music from a far distance and the rumble of a car's engine. Suddenly, there were bright lights beaming in her direction and she was momentarily blinded. Her other senses intensified as the sound of screeching tires and smell of burnt rubber made her heart thump wildly. She stood rooted in the middle of the road, as her eyes adjusted to the headlights of a car, realizing she was still alive. The music had stopped. Throwing her hood off of her head, she peered with squinted eyes at the reckless driver that had nearly hit her.

Nathan mouth fell open and his attempts at forgetting the evening's prior events had been crushed by seeing the one girl that brought them all back. Talk about irony. He turned the key out of the ignition and got out of the car.

"Are… are you okay?"

He was also a bit stunned that he had almost hit someone.

Haley rubbed her eyes, as they dilated to readjust to the dark. But, that voice; she knew that voice. She looked up, just as surprised, to see Nathan Scott before her.

She laughed, which threw off Nathan, even more.

"Nice try,"

"What? Nice try…?"

"At my assassination," she finished.

He let out a small sigh of relief and chuckled.

"I'm surprised you're not yelling at me right now…"

She huffed, her nostrils flaring slightly.

"I told you, I wasn't yelling at _you_," she explained, referring to the incident on the first day of school.

Then, she remembered why Nathan was nothing more than an annoyance to her.

"Well, I'm glad I didn't _scratch_ your car up. See you later," She said, departing quickly.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to meet eyes with his and answer his question.

"Nothing… just forget it. I got to get going…"

"Where you headed?"

She crossed her arms, showing impatience.

"I… I'll give you a lift,"

"It's okay, I can walk from—"

"Please. Let me drive you… it's the least I can do for almost running you over,"

Somehow… his few words had convinced her to get in his car. She _had_ to take advantage of Nathan Scott being her personal chauffeur; or so she told herself. She sat straight up in the passenger seat, not really wanting to touch the leather with her bare hands; considering the multiple girls Nathan had been with, she was sure a good number of those times were in this very car. She buckled her seatbelt, waiting for him to start the car, looking blankly out the front windshield.

"So, where we headed?"

"Oh, right… uh… do you know where the river court is?"

"Actually, I do. The guys on the team showed me during the summertime. We used to ball there for hours,"

"It's a nice place, isn't it? Lucas introduced me to the park when we were younger,"

"So, you're going there now to meet him?"

"Uh huh,"

He glanced at her long enough to notice her outfit, hugging her in all the right places. The way she had put her hair up, gave off a sexy, just-out-of-bed impression.

"You planning on shooting a few hoops, too?"

"Hell, no,"

"Oh. It's just you kind of look dressed for the part, you know?"

She looked down at her choice of clothes and looked back up at him to catch him staring. She assumed he was criticizing her very casual outfit, when, in fact, he was trying **not** to compliment her and come off creepy. It was just relaxed clothing she was wearing, but she pulled it off so well.

"So, why aren't you getting shit-faced at some party?" she asked bluntly, changing the subject.

His thoughts traced back his quarrel with Peyton.

"_Are you kidding me? You've been looking forward to this party, so you can add another chick to your list of girls you've cheated on me with! I mean, what's another girl on top of all the other nameless whores you've messed around with, behind my back? Oh, and by the way, Nate, she won't be there. You know that's not her crowd and whatever else it is that you know about her. And what I do remember about Haley is that she doesn't do **shit-faced** assholes, like you,"_

"Hello?"

Haley waved her small palm over his face.

"Huh?"

"I said, why aren't you out at a party. It _is_ Friday night,"

"Why aren't you?" He threw her one of his boyish smirks.

She didn't answer.

"Actually, I was on my way to one, and then, I guess, the gods decided to put you in my path,"

Again with the smirk.

"How lucky for you," she sarcastically commented.

Nathan pulled his car to side of the road, before turning into the actual path, where the river court was located. She looked at him, wondering what his intentions were.

"Can I ask you a question?" he suddenly asked.

"Sure, why not?"

"Whatever happened to you and Peyton?"

She wasn't surprised. She assumed that if he was dating Peyton for as long as the infamous couple had been together, she would've told him by now. She wasn't really upset that he brought it up, either, but curious as to why he brought it up.

"She won't tell you?"

"Nope,"

Haley let out a deep, expressive sigh.

"What do you think happened, Nathan? Life happened."

"Just like that?"

She nodded.

"I see…"

"We don't hate each other; well, at least I don't hate her. But, we were so little and you know the saying, 'friendships come and go'. I don't worry about it too much. Anyway, thanks a lot for the ride. I appreciate it,"

"Yeah, no problem. Tell Luke that I say 'hi' and to hold your hand when you cross the street from now on,"

"Ha-ha," she said sarcastically.

"See you around, Nathan,"

He watched her small figure hop out of the tall SUV and walk toward the path to the river court. He waited a few minutes, making sure her friend hadn't left and that she wouldn't be alone. Only when she didn't return was when he finally put his car into gear and drove off towards Tim's house.

--

**Author's note (cont'd):** In this particular chapter, I definitely conjured up the conversations between Nathan and Peyton from scratch, with the help of the show and how their beginnings were in Season 1. Also, with Nathan almost running our precious Haley over, that was totally stolen from _One Tree Hill_—you know, Peyton almost running Luke over.

The only real-life based event in this chapter was Haley getting in the car with Nathan, except… the real-life Peyton was in the car too. If you guys get what I'm saying. But, I know y'all wanted some Naley action, so, that's why it's written the way it was.

To clear things up a bit, I had like three Lucas' in my life—if that makes sense and if you guys are interested, at all.

Anyway, keep reading for more adventures with… Nathan and Haley! I'm corny, I know. **xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any character, idea, plotline, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

_Dear Journal, _

_I've been at Luke's all weekend. I'm doing a damn good job at avoiding the house. No one has called and I don't care. I'm just glad I'm not around, so that mom isn't bitching about every little thing. I've been here since Friday night and today is Sunday. Last night, I snuck back in and grabbed extra clothes and other important stuff because I knew she'd be out drinking, partying, whatever it is that she does. She thought I was high, so I fought back with her and it felt good. Living with her is like living on a mine field… you never know what will set her off and when it will set her off. Oh, not to mention, all my brothers and sisters never call and pretty much give a rip about me. _

_I feel like such a burden to Keith and Karen… even Lucas. Nah, I think he loves me way too much. Hee. They're feeding me, sheltering me, and just being there for me. _

_The past few days have been crazy! _

_Thursday night – Mom goes psycho on me, again. _

_Friday night – I decide I'm going to the river court to meet Lucas. Guess who nearly ran my ass over?! Nathan Scott. Mr. You-make-me-wanna-puke Scott. Harsh, I know. With all good reasoning; I've never met anyone so cocky in my entire life. I'll admit it: he is too damn sexy for his own good. But, looks are just looks, they only go so far. He surprised me Friday night by offering me a ride to the river court (2 minutes—whoop-de-doo) to apologize for almost killing me. He was nice. Crazy, right? _

_Saturday night – Mom's out (surprise), grabbed clothes, toothbrush, etc. _

_Sunday night – Contemplating moving into the Roe's for good (haha) _

_Anyway, I totally blew off Chris' billion missed phone calls on Thursday because I was so upset. He hasn't called this whole weekend, which was actually a relief. I'm about to call him now and let him know that, yes, I'm still alive._

"Hey, Haley,"

Chris spoke in a very laid-back manner, which she had to admit, she appreciated.

"Hi. How was your weekend?" She bit her bottom lip unconsciously, waiting for his answer.

"It… it's been okay, yours?"

"Um… not so great. I've been hiding out at Lucas'. I… I know I didn't answer your phone calls a few nights ago and I'm really sorry,"

"Was it your parents again?" He went from cool to concerned.

"Yeah… I've just been avoiding them, my mom in particular. You know how it goes…"

"Aw, babe, I wish I were there,"

She knew exactly how he'd be—overbearing and dramatic. Haley never wanted to really discuss the relationship between her and her parents. She was running from it as far and as fast as she could.

"I'm okay… I… uh… wish you were here, too. Hah! She accused me of being high, that night,"

"What?"

"My mom thought I was high,"

"Why?"

"Because my eyes were bloodshot and I was tired,"

"Oh…but, you weren't, were you?"

The laugh that escaped her lips was long gone and her features fell into a frown.

"Actually, I was stoned off my ass,"

"Haley! I can't believe you smoked! Who were you smoking with and why did—"

"I'm being sarcastic. I can't believe you actually thought I would do that!"

Chris was dead quiet, maybe feeling foolish or maybe angry, probably both. But, she was furious that he thought that low of her. And then, in that instant, she felt a pang of guilt. She _was_ low. She saw his accusations as an opportunity, a decent enough motive, to break it off. She was dating other people, behind his back and her feelings towards him had diminished. They had diminished enough to the point where, she wanted to use his mistakes to cover up for hers. God, he knew how to make her feel awful without even knowing it.

"I'm sorry, baby,"

"No, don't be sorry. But, I really wasn't, Chris,"

"I don't know… you know, people change over time, but I just wanted to make sure you haven't changed all that much, since I've been gone. It was hard not hearing from you and it took a lot out of me not to call you these past few days… but, I just wanted you to feel what I was feeling. I was being selfish,"

It hurt to hear his real feelings being spilt from his mouth. But the honest truth was that, she **had** changed to a great extent.

"You're the least selfish person, I know. And you had the right not to call me. I needed the time, to myself, anyway. But, I'm really not planning on turning to substance abuse, anytime soon. I think there's enough of that in my family. Haha…"

She laughed, even if she hated joking about her drunk of a mother; she only used it for subject change. Her boyfriend laughed with her, always accepting the chance to steer off a serious topic.

"Well… I guess I'm glad that Luke was there to keep you company…" He said sincerely.

Duh, Haley! She had told her boyfriend she needed time to herself and yet she was hanging out at her best friend's house.

Chris never seemed bothered by the fact that her best friend just so happened to be a boy, even if Luke _was_ bothered. It was the confidence that Haley had in her friendship with Lucas that Chris saw, allowing him to trust her completely. But, Chris had to admit that at times, his jealousy broke out when she unconsciously chose Luke over him.

"Chris, I—"

"Hey, I have to finish up this research paper, so I'll probably just hit you up later to say 'goodnight'. Is that okay?" he interrupted quickly.

"It's totally fine. Good luck on finishing it up. I'll talk to you later,"

"Haley?"

"Yes?"

"I love you,"

"Love you, too,"

As she hung up her cell phone, she heard the door opening to Lucas' bedroom.

"So, are you done demoralizing my room with your mushy mumbo-jumbo?" Lucas asked impishly.

Haley gave her friend a blank stare.

"Number one, were you listening in on my conversation? And number two, are we going back to kindergarten vocabulary?"

He narrowed his eyes and pointed his index finger at her warningly.

"I let you tirade my room all weekend and you dare mock me?" He laughed out loud as he plopped down onto his bed, beside her.

He lay on his back, outstretching his right arm. She followed by curling into his side and resting her head onto his right bicep.

"When are you going to break up with him, already?" he further joked, wanting to get a rise out of her.

There was no witty, defensive response. Instead, he listened closely to hear a defeated sigh escape her lips. He turned his head to study her face.

"Hales?"

"Can… can we not talk about it, Luke?"

"Sure thing, kiddo,"

And he wrapped his other free arm, around her small frame, as the two lay on his bed, basking in the serene silence. All of a sudden, his bedroom door swung open again to reveal Lucas' mom, with a look of adoration on her face.

"Will one of you, please, tell me why you two aren't dating, again?" she gushed.

"Mom!"

"Karen!"

The two friends shouted simultaneously.

--

Haley was dragging ass on Monday morning. She slowly made her way down the school hall, sore from her first period P.E. class. Staring at the innards of her locker, she groaned, realizing she'd have to carry her huge U.S. History text and math book. Lugging her belongings to her next class was difficult. Then, the warning bell rang, causing her to break out in a small sweat. She picked up her pace and increased the length of her strides. She was never late for class!

"Man, my parents were so pissed when they got home. Instead of waking up early and cleaning the house, like I planned, I slept in!" Tim complained.

"What'd you expect? You were trashed the night before,"

Haley rolled her eyes, listening to a conversation between two boys, directly behind her.

She heard their ongoing footsteps but their talking had died down to whispers.

"Look at _that_ ass," Nathan whispered to Tim.

Nathan was fully aware of the figure walking in front of them; he had memorized that rear, since the first day of SAT Prep. But, he didn't want his friend to think he had some severe crush on the girl.

The funny thing was that Tim knew who the girl was—Lucas' friend and the girl that his best friend seemed to be fixated on. He rolled his eyes when Nathan was far too focused on Haley's hips swaying side-to-side. As soon as Nathan turned to his friend as if for approval, Tim would joke back and forth, wiping the knowing expression off his face.

Tim swerved his hands creating invisible lines, tracing her curves in a boyish manner.

Nathan smiled goofily in response to his friend's gesture.

"Who is that, anyway?" Tim whispered, a little too loudly.

To Haley's dismay, she realized they were secretly talking about her. She slowed down her walking and turned her head casually to meet eye to eye with the two boys.

"Oh, hey, Haley. I didn't know that it was you, from _behind_,"

Tim tried with all his might not to laugh and instead, began to jog to his class, avoiding Haley's wrath. He remembered her rampage during lunch on the first day of school.

"Hi, Nathan," she said politely.

The two walked rather slowly, their eyes fixed forward. To her disappointment, he didn't reach for her heavy books, despite her evident discomfort. He could have scored some brownie points!

Nathan eyed her texts, wanting to reach out and carry them, as well as walking her to class. But, he forced himself not to for he was showing far too much… interest. He quietly cursed Peyton for causing that word to stick in his head—_interest_.

"Yoo hoo! Pencil dick Scott!"

Both Nathan and Haley were able to identify the person behind that nasty insult. What they didn't know was that there were actually two people following them.

Nathan turned around completely, ready to throw some obscene hand gestures at Brooke (her raspy, cheery voice always gave her away), when his eyes met the piercing green ones of Peyton. The look on her face portrayed that she was less than happy about the compromising situation her boyfriend was in: walking side by side with the very girl that caused their argument. Haley had spun around as well and for what reason she knew not. As soon as she caught sight of her former friend, she regretted being anywhere near Nathan; it was just strange.

Peyton and Brooke had been running late to their second period class, as usual. This particular morning, Peyton was venting about her shitty weekend via Nathan Scott. Of course, she left out the bit about how the fight had started: Haley James. Brooke had linked arms with her best friend, able to feel the blonde's muscles tense and her movements stiffen, when they had come within close proximity of her boyfriend.

She questioned why the shy, awkward friend of Lucas was alone in the halls with Peyton's boyfriend. Brooke was the kind of person that would instigate, but with the tension she felt between all three people surrounding her, there was no need for instigation. She was brave enough to ignore it and decided she might shoot the breeze with that Haley James character. After all, the girl was Lucas' best friend—what better way to get some personal research done?

The pair of girls released each other as they neared where Nathan and Haley were standing. Brooke blew a kiss to both Nathan and Peyton, cunningly looping her arm into Haley's and grabbing one of the heavy books from her hands. Haley was far too stunned and at the same time, thankful to Brooke to object. The two girls headed off in the direction of their class, which they shared together, leaving the couple to talk out their problems in whatever time was left till the final bell rang.

Nathan didn't feel like making any reconciliation for his behavior on Friday night because it was over nothing. He believed that he could care less about Haley, so his behavior was just him being him. Peyton knew how he'd blow up like that on occasion, especially after a rejected apology. Nathan wasn't known as the mean jock for no reason.

"Hey," he greeted his girlfriend.

Usually after their fights, Peyton would always avoid eye contact, remorseful whether it was her fault or not. But this time, she bore holes into his head. The eerily calm look on her face did not falter. Not bothering to reply, she continued to walk towards her class.

Nathan ran his thumbs down the straps of his backpack, letting out a tired sigh. He walked two paces behind her, expecting her to spin around and begin her usual ranting and raving. She was nearing her sociology class that Nathan had walked her to many times before and she still hadn't said a word to him. She stopped shortly in front of her classroom door and finally turned to him.

"Nate, I don't know what you want from me. I have nothing to apologize for because Friday night was all you. So, if an apology is all you came around for, don't wait up. Oh, and try not to hit on other girls while we're still together because, you know, as dumb as you think we are, I notice and so do the girls that you're hitting on,"

She was still calm as she entered the classroom, shutting the door behind her.

Peyton was the only girl he knew that could actually withstand his cutting words because she could be just as hostile. In fact, it felt like she had poured salt over an open wound. He knew everything she said was true. He was acting infatuated with some quiet, mousy, unknown girl who used to be best friends with his current girlfriend. At the same time, he was confused by his girlfriend's statement; was she breaking up with him? How much further in this so-called relationship was she willing to go? How much further was he willing to go?

--

Brooke smiled at Haley, after having lightened her load.

"You don't have to do that… I can take it back," Haley said firmly, reaching for her math book.

Brooke slid her arm out of Haley's and slapped her outreached hand.

"Take a friendly gesture with gratitude!"

"Brooke, the only reason you'd be pulling a friendly gesture is because you're looking for one too. So, what do you want?"

The playful brunette was amazed at how brusque Lucas' friend was being. It reminded her somewhat of herself—feminine with a twist.

"Okay, so I won't lie… maybe the reason why I wanted to talk to you is… I mean, since, _he_ will be asking me out soon…"

"What? Lucas asked you out?"

"Uh, no… that's why I said 'soon'! Anyway, my point is that you're the closest person to him and I genuinely want to get to know the guy, so I figured… you could help me out?"

She ended on a quite optimistic note.

"What exactly do you mean by helping you out?"

"Well, you know if I happen to have any questions or…"

"Let me start out by answering three of those questions: We are **not** boyfriend and girlfriend, we're best friends; he is however, single, and no, he is not gay…"

"Whoa… what?"

"Top three questions asked by Lucas' groupies and other girls after the same thing you are,"

Brooke narrowed her eyes into dagger-like slits.

"But, the difference between those _other_ girls and I is that it wouldn't matter if he were gay or not… I'd turn him straight just like that,"

She snapped her forefingers for emphasis.

Haley laughed at Brooke's seriousness in pursuing her best friend.

"Haha… you know, I _don't_ doubt that,"

"Hmm… thanks, sweetness," she said in a satisfied tone.

The two entered their U.S. History class on time and Brooke handed Haley her textbook. Haley slipped quietly into an empty desk as did Brooke into the one directly behind Haley's.

Brooke leaned forward, bringing her lips within inches of Haley's ear and whispered,

"Just a little bit of advice… be careful when it comes to Nathan Scott…"

A sense of dread swept through Haley's body, confused by the double meaning in Brooke's last words. She couldn't tell if she was warning Haley to stay away from him because she was Peyton's best friend or because… he was Nathan Scott. She tried to brush away the feeling. Either way, she had nothing to worry about. She had Chris and Nathan had Peyton.


	6. Chapter 6

_Pray for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings and their families._

--

**Author's note:** Hey, guys! I know that this story is kind of chugging along, but it will help the story to flow smoothly. If you have any questions/comments/remarks, please let me know! Please, enjoy!

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim any character, plotline, idea, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

Brooke pulled her baby blue Volkswagen bug into Peyton's driveway, armed and ready with cookie dough ice cream and some sappy 80's movie from her romance collection. Just because she didn't believe in true love didn't mean she couldn't pretend she did and that Molly Ringwald sure it made it damn believable. Making her way up the Sawyers' front porch steps, she swung the door open already knowing it'd be unlocked.

"Bring spoons!" Peyton yelled from her bedroom.

She was in dire need of some comfort from every girl's best friend, the one-serving pint.

"I am _so_ already ahead of you…" Brooke proudly announced, holding two plastic spoons in one hand.

In her other, she held a plastic grocery bag carrying two pints of ice cream and a DVD.

"… This way, there will be no dishes for you to do," she stated matter-of-factly as she comfortably seated herself amongst Peyton's pile of pillows.

Peyton smiled broadly at her friend's constant ability to cheer her up.

"Thanks, Brooke,"

"No problem. Besides, I get to join in on the action and finish an entire pint with a very liable excuse,"

"Hah! You won't die from eating a carton of ice cream. In fact, if you didn't eat it… you would probably die,"

"Hmph… look who's talking, Twiggy!"

Peyton mouth fell open with false shock.

Brooke began spooning the dessert into her mouth, a look of sheer bliss on her face. Peyton picked up the DVD to get the movie started.

"So, has _Nathan Almighty _talked to you yet?" Brooke asked between mouthfuls of cookie dough pieces.

It had been a week since that Monday, when Peyton had told Nathan off. She wasn't sure what she would say to him that day, but finding him with Haley, set her off slightly. It felt nice sticking it to him because usually, she'd have relented by now. She did care about Nathan, a lot. He was such an intriguing person and apart from his all-star persona, she saw the same cold bitterness in him that she had. It oddly reassured her to have something to share with someone, even if it was negative. Initially, that wasn't what their relationship had been based on. She had a type of puppy love for him that he returned, escalating into first time sexual experiences (for her, anyway) and now, that bitterness seemed to be the very thread that kept Nathan and Peyton together.

"He's tried to start some lame small talk with me, but other than that, he hasn't really said anything important,"

"Ugh… ass. Why are guys so damn dense?"

"When you say 'guys' do you mean in general or more specifically, Nathan Scott and maybe… Lucas Roe?"

"He'll come around… especially now with the help of a certain someone… by the way, riddle me this: why was Nathan hanging out with Haley James?"

Peyton swallowed a scoop of her ice cream, letting it soothe the sudden dryness in her throat.

"I… I don't know. I mean she _is_ friends with Luke… who's affiliated with… uh… with Nathan by basketball…"

Brooke immediately noticed her best friend's stuttering.

"Wh… wh… what… was… th… th… that?" Brooke teased.

The somewhat aggravated blonde scooted herself back against her headboard, using a pillow to support her backside. She needed to be comfortable in order to approach an extremely uncomfortable subject.

Her friend noted the look of defeat on Peyton's face.

"P. Sawyer, despite your ice queen exterior, I know that you're just as human as the next person, so please… indulge me with what torments our majesty,"

Peyton allowed a crooked smile to form on her lips.

"When you were little, did you think you were a mean kid?"

"I was probably the worst… why?"

She knew that Brooke was being more than honest, but it still didn't ease the slight pang of guilt.

"It' just… before you came to Tree Hill, there were some things that had happened and I didn't think it was necessary to bring them up again. But, it feels almost like my past is coming to haunt me,"

Rather than demanding an explanation, Brooke softly asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?"

Peyton sighed.

"You know Haley James?"

"Yes…"

"Well… she and I used to… well, she and I were… uh… best friends for several years when we were in grade school. We got along really well and our parents did too; we came up with the idea that we'd be friends forever. Eventually, my mom got me involved with gymnastics and youth league cheerleading and I guess… I ended up ditching her. Ugh… I became friends with people like Bevin, Theresa, and the other girls that were on the same cheer squad as me. I started ignoring her and every time she'd try to say something to me, I'd walk away and complain about it to my friends. I was just trying to be cool. So… they'd yell at her and make fun of her and… and I'd just watch. It got a little out of hand, one day… you know how small kids can be really mean, sometimes… and they were pushing her around. Lucas was new at the time and he kind of jumped in and um… yelled at my friends and I, which honestly, I'm glad he did…"

"Wow…"

Peyton had never seen her friend's honey brown eyes so enlarged before.

"Brooke?"

But, the newsflash that Peyton had just given her friend was a whirlwind of information. Brooke sat there, zoning out, as she mentally connected the dots.

"Oh my God… for some weird reason… it makes so much sense! That's why I've never seen you and Lucas have a casual conversation and that unspoken distance between Nathan and Lucas. Their friendship is just so different from all the other guys on the basketball team and…"

"Actually… Nathan just found out this weekend… when we fought. If there's awkwardness between the two of them, it's because of Lucas,"

"Right… so, how did you guys end up fighting over your history with Lucas and Haley? I'm so confused…"

Peyton sighed with a bit of frustration.

"He… he found some pictures of us—"

"You and Luke?"

"Ugh… no… 'us' as in me and Haley. I was jealous that he was asking all these questions about her, so I asked him why he was so curious. He flipped, asking me these bullshit questions like if it was my fault because of my popularity…"

"Which technically was true… meaning his questions really weren't bullshit,"

Peyton angrily shoveled some of her frozen dessert into her mouth, furrowing her forehead.

"I admit that I was a complete bitch at the age six or seven or whatever, but the thing is… I'm not going to apologize over some petty kid stuff when I'm pretty damn sure she's not willing to forgive me. Besides, I doubt she gives two shits, anyway,"

"Uh huh…"

"It just bothers me that Nathan can't get over himself and just outwardly leads other girls on. Is it weird to say that I'm a little worried… not _about_ Haley but, _for_ her, maybe?"

"Okay… because that makes so much sense! What the hell, Peyton? He's your boyfriend and you're worried about some girl that he flirts with?!"

"I know Nathan. And I have a pretty good idea that Haley isn't like the usual pathetic whore throwing herself at him. Think of how awkward it is not just for me, but for her too. He's just trying to mess around with someone who doesn't treat him like a fucking king. Plus, Nathan won't do anything to jeopardize his image and the last thing anyone would expect him to do is to dump his cheerleader girlfriend for straight-'A' student, Haley James. No offense to her because it's not like she cares, anyway, but, I'm _really_ not worried about her,"

Brooke considered her friend's reasoning momentarily and she had no choice, but to agree. Nathan was way too much of a coward and maybe that Haley girl really did have way too much dignity.

--

"What do you think?"

Haley was lying on her front side, on Lucas' bed, watching him try on several shirts and checking for his friend's approval.

"Too grungy… too preppy… too… too blue…"

Staring at the royal blue t-shirt Lucas had just slipped on, her thoughts drifted to Nathan's eyes for a brief moment, clouding her concentration.

"Earth to Haley! How about this one?"

She blinked twice, focusing her attention on the tan buttoned-up shirt he now had on.

"Sorry… ooh, now to me that shirt says, 'You can take it off just as easily as I put it on',"

"Hales!" Lucas shouted, his eyes round with shock.

"What? Come on! I'm just trying to think like how Brooke Davis thinks because the opinion of a best friend and girlfriend lie on two totally different ends of the spectrum, buddy,"

"Hey, where did you get the notion that she's my girlfriend?"

"Duh, Lucas, this is your first real date with her… I'm just teasing. Don't have an anxiety attack,"

"Is it that obvious?"

"What? That you're nervous? Of course, it's obvious. But, don't worry so much. Everyone on this God given Earth knows that Brooke Davis would love to take up the position of being your girlfriend,"

"How do you figure?"

"She's not one to approach the guy first and we all know that her general interest in the male species doesn't last for more than a week. You've got everyone beat by a good month or so,"

"We also know that she doesn't date, which I don't really mind, I guess…"

"Exactly. If she typically doesn't date, yet she suddenly chooses to go on a _date_ with you, I'm pretty sure that means something,"

Lucas smiled at the thought that Brooke had seemed to make a few exceptions for him.

"I mean that… she doesn't really date a guy long-term…"

"Luke, I'm sure that your sweet charm and manners will be a whole new experience for her. If you haven't noticed, there are way too many boys thinking they're men, but you, my friend, really are just a sincere gentleman. You might be the very one to sweep her off her feet; not to mention, you're not all too ugly to look at,"

"You're right. I'm not all that ugly… in fact, some might even call me _sexy_,"

Haley stuck her tongue out in a child-like fashion.

"I'm… I'm not trying to sweep her off her feet, you know," Lucas blurted out.

"Huh?"

"All I'm saying is that a guy gets tired of the single life, sometimes,"

"You and I both know that you've had this little crush brewing up since the end of last year. Well, what guy who thinks with his crotch doesn't have a crush on her?"

"Hey! I resent that statement!"

"Anyway… I don't think… she's as bad as everyone makes her out to be…" she said rather quietly.

Lucas was surprised. It wasn't that he made his decisions based on his friend's approval but, it helped when Haley didn't dislike the girl he was after, which was usually not the case. He bent down, quickly planting a brotherly kiss on her forehead. She smiled up at him, knowing he appreciated her encouragement.

He returned to his lengthy mirror, buttoning his shirt, when he seemed to have remembered something.

"Does it bother you?"

The carefree expression on Haley's face faded. She knew exactly what he was referring to.

"Um…"

"Be honest,"

"I've thought about it a couple of times. But, just because of the fact that Brooke is friends with her says nothing about Brooke. Bottom line is if you're happy, I'm happy,"

"You sure?"

"People change. I have definitely grown since then and I'm sure Peyton has too,"

He couldn't help but to smile at his best friend's undying ability to love others. At the same time, he worried about her naïve innocence. He would always be there to protect her.

His thoughts traced back to school, when he swore he had seen Peyton's boyfriend and his teammate, Nathan Scott, eyeing Haley a bit too intensely. He shrugged it off because he knew that Nathan had a girlfriend and he was a typical guy who liked to flirt. He had gotten out of his fifth period class early one day and wanted to surprise Haley by walking with her to lunch, when he found that she was preoccupied with Nathan, appearing quite chummy, as the two sauntered out of their SAT Prep class. He was leery, but unsure of Nate's motives.

Lucas opened a jar of hair gel that sat on top of his dresser drawer. Scooping a small amount, he began to work it through is scruffy, blonde hair.

"So… why didn't you tell me that you and Nathan had been getting buddy-buddy, lately?"

"Huh?"

From the mirror, he caught his best friend's eyes flicker with timidity before they met his.

"You never told me that you had a class with him,"

"Why would I? It's not like he's your favorite person on the team and he's not mine, either. Trust me,"

She threw her friend a cheesy wink.

"That's not what it looked like when I walked past your fifth period class,"

"What?"

Haley was sitting upright, curious at her friend's causational discoveries.

"I tried to wave at you one time and you were pretty absorbed in some conversation with him. I definitely got dissed,"

"Whatever…"

"Hales?"

"What?"

Lucas gasped.

"You're not…"

"What?!" she asked again with a bit more conviction.

"You're not… trying to replace me with a new best friend, are you?!"

He clutched his hands to his chest, feigning heartbreak.

"Hey, watch it, buddy. More jokes like that and I just might have to,"

They exchanged puzzled stares when suddenly, the door bell rang.

"Do you mind getting it?" Lucas asked, holding up his gel-covered hands.

She rolled her eyes, but got up from her comfortable position on the bed. She strode down the corridor to the front door, not wanting to keep the stranger. Unconsciously, she glanced at her reflection from the glass of a framed picture, before swinging the door open.

"Can I help…"

She was bombarded by a bear hug from none other than her boyfriend, Chris Keller.

"Haley, I missed you so much!"

He squeezed her tightly for a few seconds before releasing her to face her.

"Chris, what are you doing here?"

"Eh… not exactly the reaction I had expected…" He said trying not to sound offended.

"I'm… I'm sorry! I just didn't know you were coming home and… how did you know I'd be here?"

"I think I know you well enough to know that if you're not at home, you're at Luke's. And, I just wanted to surprise my baby, that's all," he said with a grin of contentment.

"Well, you were quite successful,"

She leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on his lips. Her hardened heart seemed to melt away with Chris being present. Of course, it was only temporary, but she'd grown accustom to those emotions. This is what long distance relationships feel like, she told herself. What she didn't know was that her ability to subside her unhappiness would soon wear away and soon enough, there would be nothing left.


	7. Chapter 7

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the characters, ideas, plots, etc. of the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

"Hales, who was that?" Lucas shouted after his friend, as he approached the doorway.

"What's up, Luke," Chris greeted his girlfriend's long-time friend with broad grin.

Lucas caught a quick glimpse of Haley who mouthed a silent 'sorry', which wasn't necessary; it wasn't that he was totally against Chris. He just didn't think the two worked very well as a couple. When the two had started dating, of course, he was skeptical for it was Haley's first relationship and Chris was an older guy. He was a nice enough person and had never really hurt her in anyway. However, there was a lack of something that Lucas couldn't really put in his finger on. But, who was he to talk? He'd had his share of flings and nothing quite as serious as their relationship.

"Hey, Chris, long time no see,"

They slapped hands, obviously stating the formality in their friendship.

"Yeah, it's good to be back,"

"So, how long are you staying _this time_?"

He tried to convince himself that his question was innocent; that he was asking for Haley's sake, but then he would be lying. He hated that all she had to look forward to were winter and spring break, and the occasional weekend visits.

"Uh…"

Chris sensed some hostility in the question.

"I'm just glad you're here," Haley piped in.

She glared at Luke, who knew to interpret it as a _be-nice-or-I'll-kill-you-later_ threat.

Her boyfriend smiled appreciatively before kindly asking,

"You don't mind if I steal her for the day… possibly the weekend, do you?"

"Actually, I was on my way out. Wait, you guys aren't trying to hang out _here_, are you?"

Haley rolled her eyes.

"Why, so you can bring Brooke back here?"

"Hah, the thought _did_ cross my mind, but, I think you guys doing whatever it is that you do on the living room couch, while I'm out, and my parents walking in… it just wouldn't be a pretty sight,"

"Ew," Haley said.

"What's so 'ew' about whatever it is that we do?" Chris asked flirtatiously, turning to Haley.

"Ew," Lucas grimaced.

"How can you say 'ew'? You're the one that mentioned it!" Haley exclaimed.

"Ew. Why are you so angry?" Lucas teasingly asked.

"You're 'ew'!" Haley retorted.

"Why am I 'ew'?"

"Because you're the one visualizing whatever 'ew' stuff that we do that is none of your business,"

"Ew! You called it 'ew stuff'!"

Chris had left the conversation a while back and was now staring back and forth from the two friends.

"Oh my gosh, Lucas, grow up!"

"You're 'ew' session should be pretty hot now that I got her all passionate with fury," Lucas whispered pointedly to Chris.

Immediately, Haley heard his obnoxious comment and punched her best friend, square on the arm.

"Ow!" He yelped.

Haley grabbed Chris by the arm and the couple was out the front door in a matter of a nanosecond.

Pushing the screen door open, Lucas popped his head out, shouting, "Bye, Hales! Love ya!"

"Bye!" she yelled back snappishly.

"You guys have some of the weirdest fights," Chris quietly pointed out.

"Huh? That wasn't a fight. But, when we do fight, it is pretty weird,"

The two of them drove to the Keller residence, so that Chris could have dinner with his family, along with the accompaniment of his girlfriend. Now, the Keller's were good people, otherwise they wouldn't have raised someone like Chris—polite, sensitive, and overall, a good natured boy. Phillip and Lynne Keller were devout Christians, which had been a great part of his upbringing. On the other hand, Haley's religious status could be simply phrased as, 'At least I'm not an atheist', which was found dearly troublesome by his parents. They didn't jam their good ol' faith down her throat, but, they didn't hide the fact that they certainly did not approve. She always went to Chris' house with optimism, hoping that the timeframe from her previous visit to the current one would have some sort of progress. She wasn't surprised by their behavior towards her—to a certain extent, she believed they had a justified reason to question her relations to their eldest son (he had two younger siblings), but not because she didn't go to church.

Yet, here she was, about to step into the familiar brick home, with white siding and prominent royal blue shutters. She stared at the window shutters, sifting through her memories for something it reminded her of.

"Thanks for coming,"

Seeing Chris beaming from ear to ear broke her concentration on the home's windows.

"Anything to spend some time with you," she sweetly replied.

"Mom? Dad? I'm back!" Chris announced as the two entered, making way into the kitchen.

"Hi, Mrs. Keller," Haley said pleasantly.

"Hello, Haley,"

The older woman approached her son's girlfriend, embracing her for a quick hug.

Chris smile grew even bigger, if possible, observing the exchange.

"I'm disappointed in you, young lady. Just because Chris isn't here, doesn't mean you can't visit,"

Haley forced herself not to roll her eyes. The underlying tone in his mother's voice went unnoticed by all, but her. It was a mix between accusation and a spoonful of honey. At least her parents were blunt.

"I'm sorry. I've been busy with school and work. But, it's great to see you now,"

"Mom, where's my stuff? Y'all didn't decide to throw me out, did you?"

"Haha… you wish. Your father took all your bags upstairs on account of you rushing right out of here to get Haley, when you came home,"

'Blame game, anyone?' Haley thought inwardly.

She knew Mrs. Keller was intelligent by the way she chose her words and how she intonated them perfectly.

"Back so soon, son? Ms. Haley James, long time no see,"

Mr. Keller came strolling into the kitchen area and outreached his hand, giving her a firm handshake. The young girl always had a soft spot for him; probably due to his mild liking towards her, rather than outright disregard.

"How have you been, sir?"

"Oh, I've been wonderful. Chris' mother and I actually just returned from a church retreat at a camp in a nearby town. I got a little beaten up, but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, huh?"

"Absolutely,"

Chris valued his girlfriend's constant respect with his family. He wasn't fully blind to his mother's indirect opposition with Haley, but never knew how to approach the problem, leaving it at that.

"Is it alright if Haley stays for dinner?" Chris asked his mom.

Chris' mother turned around, wearing a tight smile as she faced her son.

"Well, since it is your first night back, I assumed it would be just the family and I only made enough steaks for the five of us,"

By then, Mr. Keller and Haley had both stopped their light conversation, sensing tension in the air.

"Haley, you wouldn't mind if we had ourselves a family dinner, it being Chris' first night back, would you?"

Lynne turned her attention away from her son to his girlfriend. Haley, who hadn't really been listening to what had been verbally passed between mother and son, nodded her head in complete agreement.

"Um… no, I don't mind at all," she said hesitantly.

The features on her boyfriend's face darkened slightly, but just like she expected, he controlled his emotions, stuffing them back into wherever they came from. The young couple had discussed long ago that in any situation where it seemed his mother was against Haley or vice versa, his mother should win. She figured that it took away any reason for Lynne to believe that Chris would choose her over his own mother.

And like always, he would oblige.

"I'll walk you out," Chris said pathetically, as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Um, it was nice seeing you two, again," Haley said to both the Mr. and Mrs.

The two parents nodded and she could tell that while Phillip was a bit embarrassed, Lynne was pretty pleased with herself. The catty bitch had never grown up from high school and beyond, even though she sure did look the part.

They stood outside on his driveway, parting ways. He grazed her brow bone with a whisper of a kiss before unwillingly going back inside and she drove off, deciding that the café sounded like a better idea than home.

--

"Haley? You're not working a shift today, are you?"

Keith, Lucas' father, glanced at his wristwatch.

"When am I _not_ working a shift?"

"Oh…" He stood behind the counter, slightly confused.

"I'm kidding, Keith. My only other option was home, so I decided I'd rather pick up another shift, instead," she said sarcastically.

"Or you can just hang out, if you like, Hales,"

"No way. Child labor laws are broken everywhere else, might as well take advantage!"

Mr. Roe gave Haley a fatherly-I-don't-think-that's-funny kind of expression with that soft, gentleness of his.

"I thought Chris was back,"

"Whoa, word travels way too fast in this town,"

"Lucas called before he went on his little date,"

"Ah. Well, Chris is at home. For some reason, I thought I'd try one more time with his evil parental units, no offense—"

"None taken,"

"And it backfired. Basically, I was dismissed from their highly valued 'family dinner',"

She fingered air quotes for emphasis.

The older man empathized with his surrogate daughter. She'd always been such a strong-willed girl, but when that wry humor was unleashed, he instantly knew she was covering up some other emotion.

It was Saturday night and the café was bustling with energy, but not so much that Gigi, a schoolmate and coworker of Haley's, couldn't handle it.

"I'll cover the register, if you like," Haley offered.

Without waiting for an answer, she made her way to the other side of the counter as fresh new customers entered the Keith & Karen's.

"Hey, Hales,"

Haley tried not to smile so brightly like she normally did when she saw Luke, for next to him was his date for the evening.

"Lucas," she replied properly with a small nod.

"So, Ms. Haley James, what plans do you have going on, tonight?" Brooke asked curiously, ignoring Haley's refusal to acknowledge her.

"Huh?"

"Well, I heard that somebody's boyfriend is in town and…"

"Oh my God, Luke, just announce it to the local news station, why don't you?"

Keith had been standing around, observing the whole scene play out, and let out a soft chuckle.

Lucas looked at her sheepishly.

"What?! At least it's good news… for you, anyway,"

"Anyway! I'm having a little get together at my house and you and Mr. Haley James are cordially invited," Brooke suddenly said, speaking over the two friends.

Keith's eyebrows raised and caught quick eye contact with his son's date. Both Lucas and Haley looked in the direction of where Brooke had looked.

"Oh… uh… hi, Dad,"

The mischievous grin on the brunette's face diminished to a nervous smirk.

"I didn't hear a thing," Keith lied as he escaped the uncomfortable situation to an awaiting table of patrons.

The expression on Brooke's face relaxed before she continued on.

"You up for it… or are you too chicken shit?" She friendly challenged.

Haley was not amused and gave Lucas a very annoyed look.

"Brooke, I appreciate the offer, but I'm just not interested,"

Brooke sneakily made her way next to Haley, lacing her arm through hers much like she had on that odd day at school.

"C'mon, I'm inviting you because I want to, but if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill ya… besides, maybe ol' Nate boy will leave you alone... after you introduce him to your boyfriend, that is,"

She whispered the last bit about Nathan into Haley's ear.

Haley's nerves twitched with anxiety and fear. What was the always mysterious Brooke Davis trying to imply? She was fully aware of Nathan's flirtatious ways, but in no way did she feel threatened by him. Either way, she didn't need Brooke having something to hang over her head, especially with the weird circumstances of her having a boyfriend, and her ex-best friend's boyfriend tendencies to slut himself around. Drama, drama, drama!

"I'll be there around 10," Haley muttered as her best friend looked on with bright eyes.

"Haley James! Living the wild life!"

Lucas announced, ecstatic that she'd made the effort to hang out with him and some of his friends. They really weren't all _that_ bad.

"Don't push it, bud,"

Haley headed for the exit as Brooke clasped her hands, trying to hold back excitement. It may have been too soon, but she was determined on squeezing her way in between the inseparable pair of friends, even if it meant her having to befriend both of them. She knew exactly what she wanted, more so _who_ she wanted, and nothing was going to stop her now. Who knew? Haley might even grow on her a little bit.

Plus, it might turn out in her best friend's favor if Haley brought her college hubby to the party. Nathan might get the clue to stop bothering Haley and stop being such a jackass to Peyton. Overall, she was convinced that it was a win-win situation.

"Don't forget to bring your lover boy!" Brooke shouted after her.

"So, what was that about?" Lucas asked observably.

"Can't a girl just get to know a guy's best friend?"

He examined her in that broody way of his, narrowing his eyes.

With a sigh, he explained, "I just don't want Haley feeling uncomfortable,"

"What? With your friends?"

"You know who I'm talking about, Brooke,"

Brooke opened her mouth to say something before Lucas gently interrupted.

"I'm not holding it against you because… well, to be honest, I like you,"

"I like you, too," she said slowly with a small amount of bashfulness.

God, what Peyton would do to see the way her brave best friend was acting over _some boy_, right now. Ironically, that boy wasn't about to let that happen.

"Haley's my best friend, always has been. I get overprotective of her because I've seen her hurt and I'll do anything to prevent it,"

"I understand. And that's why I want to get to know her. She's obviously very important to you… so, I thought I might just take the initiative…"

Lucas leaned across the counter and rather forwardly, placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek. Then, he searched her hazel brown eyes for a reaction.

Brooke's cheeks were starting to grow warm, which threw her off. Since when did a peck on the cheek faze her? Behind her, someone was clearing their throat for attention and judging by Lucas' expression, it was better not to turn around.

"Not to… uh… ruin the moment, but I know your mom would hate to think we were giving our patrons a free show," Keith said, trying to sound stern.

Lucas knew that his dad was busting his chops.

"And that's our cue to leave," Lucas sighed.

"Nice to meet you… kind of, Mr. Roe," Brooke softly said, before returning to Luke's side.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again," he replied warmly.

"Bye, Dad,"

"Luke? I know I don't need to tell you, but I'm going to—no sleepovers tonight, okay?"

Again, Brooke tried to hide her embarrassment. Normally, she'd have some haughty comeback, even to an adult, but no, not this time. She was really starting to creep herself out.

--

Haley stepped out of the shower, feeling somewhat rejuvenated from her earlier run-ins with the Keller's. They just knew how to get to her, some days—Mrs. Keller in particular. This party of Brooke's would probably get her mind off of it. She saw a couple of missed calls from her cell phone: all from Chris.

"Haley! Where have you been?" Chris answered.

"Um… in the shower," she said blankly.

"Oh… sorry, I just got worried,"

"It's okay… hey, Chris?"

"What's up?"

"My friend… actually, one of Lucas' friends are having a small get together at her house… do you want to go?"

"Yeah, sure… you sure it's okay if I come?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah… she told me to bring you,"

"Cool… what time?"

"Can you come get me in like forty-five minutes?"

"Definitely. See you soon, beautiful,"

"Alright, I'll see you,"


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note:** Hello and a thank-you to all you lovely readers for your comments and just for reading this in the first place. I mean, what writer doesn't like an audience? Hee. I know I've been real stingy on the _Naley_ action, but compared to my other chapters, this one should feed that hunger for a while… and it is a longer one. Please have fun reading and everyone have a **Happy Mother's Day**!

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the characters, ideas, plots, etc. of the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

Towel-drying her hair, Haley stood in front of her mirror in a pretty conservative white bra with matching panties contemplating her attire for the evening. She couldn't believe that it was actually taking her longer than ten minutes to decide what to wear. Everything looked the same! Well, not really, but there was this certain style in her wardrobe that she was suddenly beginning to notice and was none too happy about. It was all so plain; nothing exciting and nothing out of the ordinary.

She pressed her fingertips to her temples in a circular motion, thinking to herself,

'Why did I agree to this? Argh, Lucas and his little poodle are so getting their asses kicked tomorrow…'

With dissatisfaction, she chose a fitted gray Henley to layer on top of a white one and pulled on a pair of distressed, low-rider khaki pants.

'Seriously, Haley, how much more simple could you get? Too late now,' she reflected upon her mirror image.

She pulled out her makeup bag, also realizing how bare it was. Then an idea dawned upon her as she got up and made a mad dash to her one of her sisters' rooms. She rummaged through the drawers looking for something, anything—it really hadn't been that long since Taylor left.

"Yes!"

She gripped a Christian Dior makeup pouch with success. Just as she was about to leave the bedroom, her eyes did a double take of one of the many magazine cut-outs and posters on her sister's wall. It was a photo advertisement for MAC of some random celebrity's face done up with all the colors of the rainbow.

"Don't think so," she said out loud, examining the magazine clip with humor.

She decided against doing anything drastic. Instead, she worked dark pencil liner along her upper lash lines and brushed a soft, matte gray shadow to the crease of her lids. She gave her top and bottom eyelashes a thick coat of mascara and even used one of her sister's eyebrow liners to fill hers in. She found an eye-catching powder rouge in Taylor's makeup kit that even had a subtle shimmer to it. Admiring the finished product, Haley completed her look by washing a pearly baby pink stain to her lips and a layer of clear lip gloss. Taylor's tortuous and incessant teachings had come into use.

--

"A small get together, babe?"

Chris looked reluctantly from his girlfriend to the house that looked ransacked by high school kids. Of course, Haley was another story, but he wished he could tell her how awkward it was for an undergraduate college student like himself to be drinking beers with a bunch of high school juniors, no less. In the back of his mind he wondered how his innocent, easygoing girlfriend had changed from hanging out with only Lucas to these kinds of people.

"Those were her exact words," Haley defended herself, even though she knew it was more like a full out bash.

"Uh huh… look, since I drove here, anyway, I'm not planning on drinking, okay, but um… you can… if you want,"

He'd drunken a few beers with her, here and there, but typically, it turned her off. An acquired taste that she would never have, she told him, so many months ago.

"Okay,"

Haley wasn't even paying attention. She was far too engrossed with the fancy wooden door that led into the chaotic world that was Brooke's. She was breaking her party-virginity, save the grade school birthdays and middle school slumber parties—those definitely did not count. She felt rather snooty bringing her college boyfriend with her, but that was Brooke's idea. The girl did have a point, though. Maybe, people wouldn't just see her as Lucas' best friend or hip-attachment or girl-you-flirt-with-when-no-one's-around. Now, they might just view her as Haley James: the one with the college boyfriend. Unfortunately, it didn't sound any better.

"Haley?"

She swung around to graze eyes with Jake Jagielski, a fellow star player on the Ravens varsity basketball team and friend of Lucas.

"Hey, Jake,"

Both Chris and Jake eyed each other, only out of curiosity.

"Jake Jagielski,"

He stuck his hand out in that friendly manner of his; Haley never knew how anyone could feel threatened or even bothered by Jake.

"Chris Keller,"

"I don't think I've seen you at Tree Hill, you go around here?"

"Actually, I graduated from West View a couple of years ago,"

Jake's eyebrows danced with interest.

"You a classmate of Haley's?" Chris asked with a hint of protectiveness in his voice.

"Um… no, but I play with… uh… her friend on the basketball team,"

Jake hesitated, unsure of how well Haley's boyfriend knew Luke, if at all.

"Oh, you mean, Luke?"

He relaxed.

"Exactly. So, you in school now?"

"Yup. I'm a sophomore at American Music Institute… it's in Illinois,"

(**Author's note:** I totally made up West View, but I did look up a random music school in the Midwest… haha, I'm so lame… bear with me!)

Haley felt a lot more comfortable than just a few minutes prior to, running into a familiar face and seeing Chris getting along with Jake. The three made their way into the Davis' residence as the two guys conversed openly. Music blared loudly from one area of the house, probably the basement, and there had to be a minimum of fifty heads in the house.

"Hales, you made it,"

Lucas immediately broke away from the small group he had been in to greet his best bud.

"What's up, Jake," Lucas said.

Jake nodded a small greeting to his blond-headed teammate before joining the group that Lucas had just left.

"Are you wearing makeup?"

Luke bent his head down to peer at her face. Haley tried her best not to scowl at him, for if he was _really_ her best friend, he might notice that she _did_ wear makeup… just very little and not frequently. Someone else seemed to be reading her mind.

"Of course she is! She is, after all, a girl!" Brooke exclaimed, wrapping her arm possessively around Luke's neck.

"Chris… this is Brooke… after a few beers and a couple of shots, might I mention. Brooke, this is Chris, Haley's boyfriend," Lucas introduced them to one another.

"Hope it was a couple of shots and then the beers,"

"Why?" Haley asked out of pure inquisitiveness.

"Liquor before beer, you're in the clear," Chris, Luke, and Brooke all said in rhythmic unison.

The doe look in Haley's eyes stated her more than obvious newness to the partying scene.

"You are too cute! C'mon, take a shot with me!" Brooke suddenly blurted at Haley, catching everyone off guard.

"Don't stray too far, boys," The brunette said before dragging Haley away towards her kitchen.

"She's harmless, I swear," Lucas stated, as Chris gave him a skeptical glance.

--

"Fellas, ladies, what's going on?" Jake greeted everyone in the circle of friends.

"Isn't that the psychopath who freaked out on us?" Vegas asked, staring at Haley warily.

"Huh? You mean, Haley? Luke's friend? She's cool, man," Jake replied with a chuckle.

He had second lunch, so fortunately for him, he missed out on Haley's rampage.

"Yum… who's the guy? Please tell me it's her brother,"

Theresa, one of the more stuck up cheerleaders, purred upon seeing Chris entering the house.

As the little gathering of jocks and cheerleaders commentated on the new arrivals, Nathan stood and watched. He'd been standing in the crowd and even before Lucas had seen his best friend, Nathan had already noticed. He'd never seen Haley at these kinds of parties, even though he'd mentioned several upcoming festivities to her during their SAT prep class. He would do this more so to see if she might be curious enough to tag along, rather than showing off his recent invites. But, she only would nod her head with false interest during those suggestive conversations. Just like Theresa, though, he hoped that _the guy_ wasn't more than a brother. He highly doubted his wishful thoughts. Why he even cared, he couldn't explain.

He decided to take a stroll into the kitchen—just to refill his drink, that's all.

"I can't believe I'm breaking your virginity, Haley-Baley!" Brooke practically screamed with giddiness.

Nathan swung the kitchen door open for fear of whatever it was that Brooke was doing to Haley. Expecting some explicit sex scene from one of his girl-on-girl pornos, he was both relieved and disappointed to find Brooke pouring a clear liquid into a double shot glass while Haley poured a fruit juice into a plastic cup.

"Natey!"

Nathan winced, hearing an assigned nick name from Brooke, which she used only under the influence.

"Oh, hi, Nathan," Haley smiled briefly at her classmate, surprised by his sudden entrance.

"So, what's this I hear about someone breaking someone else's virginity?" He asked.

"Actually, Haley, here, is about to take her first shot of liquor, ever,"

Haley's face turned a brighter shade of pink and she immediately regretted wearing any blush.

"Mind if I join in on the de-virginizing?" He asked, throwing a sideways smile, his blue eyes shining intently.

Haley slapped him lightly on the arm, praying to God that her cheeks would stop burning. Brooke may have been tipsy, but it didn't take a genius or someone sober to catch their flirtatious banter.

"Haley, don't be shy! Natey has participated in a lot of de-virginizing; he knows _exactly_ what to do,"

This time, Nathan turned a little red and Haley was able to relax, now that the spotlight wasn't really on her anymore.

"Hah, sure why not? Since, Brooke likes exploiting me, might as well take a witness," she joked, trying to ease the tension between the two… uh… friends (?).

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened, revealing Lucas and Chris, looking for their girls.

"Hales! You were not about to take your first shot without me, were ya?!" Lucas asked accusingly.

Nathan noted the discomforted look on both Brooke and the other guy's face. The stranger was tall and lanky; even scrawny, with olive skin and hair with far too much gunk in it. He looked like a people-pleaser in his vintage tee and torn jeans.

"Hey, man, my name's Chris,"

The stranger had his hand in Nathan's proximity, waiting for a handshake or something.

"Nathan," he grimly replied and lazily shook the other boy's hand.

"Oh, Chris, this is Nathan—we have SAT prep together and he plays on the team with Luke. Nathan, this is Chris—my… my boyfriend,"

She had let her words falter and she wanted to slap herself, right then and there. But, Chris didn't seem to mind as he affectionately placed his arm around her petite shoulders.

There it was—envy. It began to boil his blood before he doused it quickly with a smart remark.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend,"

"What? Yes, I did!" she defended herself.

Lucas noted his teammate's unruly comment, unsure of its purpose. What was he trying to pull?

Nathan didn't answer and thankfully, Brooke broke the silence.

"Here everyone, take a glass!"

She enthusiastically handed out single shot glasses filled to the brim with vodka, except for Haley, who got the double.

"To good times with good friends!"

Brooke dedicated their round of drinks, holding up her shot glass as everyone followed suit, then downing the fiery liquid and slamming their glasses onto the granite counter.

"Yuck!" Haley sputtered as she reached for her fruit juice.

Everyone laughed at her reaction.

"Oh, you are so _not_ done for the night, missy!" Brooke teasingly warned her before turning to Nathan.

"Natey, do you know where Peyton is?"

"You're asking the wrong guy," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well then, why don't you find her?" she bitterly suggested.

He understood the implication of her message and got up to leave without a word.

Peyton had told Brooke that she wasn't planning on attending another one of her fabulous soirées, simply because she was still avoiding her boyfriend. That had also egged Brooke on to invite Haley and her boyfriend. But it was clear to her what Nathan's intentions were, especially with Peyton's absence. God, Peyton could do so much better. Also, being that she really did like Lucas, Brooke felt obligated to protect his little friend from the evil clutches of Nathan Scott, as well.

After a couple more shots and a split cup of Everclear jungle juice, Haley found herself in Brooke's bedroom, standing shirtless, while her newfound friend dug through her closet.

"Here! This will look adorable on you!"

Brooke threw a lacy, black piece of material at Haley, whose attempts at catching it, failed. The two were rolling on the floor with laughter. After the girls had regained their composure, Haley was sliding into a lacy black camisole that showed an ample amount of cleavage, much more than her usual attire.

"Mm… yummy!" Brooke commented and slapped Haley's butt.

It now looked like they were trying to have a butt-slapping contest, while they squealed trying to escape the other.

"Brooke?"

A female voice rang through upstairs hallway, causing the two rambunctious girls to stop their laughter. Brooke held her breath, instantly recognizing the person behind the stern, sober voice.

Suddenly, Peyton found herself standing in the doorway to her best friend's bedroom, staring disbelievingly at what she saw.

"Peyt… Peyton,"

She looked quickly from Haley to her best friend as a small feeling of guilt washed over, hitting her with a sensation of sobriety. Here she was partying up with her best friend's ex-best friend… even if, it was Peyton's fault.

"Hey, Brooke… Haley. I know I said I wasn't coming over, but I just didn't feel like being alone on a Saturday night and thought I'd take my chances on running into… uh… you-know-who,"

Even though she was referring to Nathan, she caught eye contact with her former friend as she said _you-know-who_.

"Um… I'll be right back," Haley mumbled as she stood up abruptly to leave.

The swift movement gave a momentary dizzy spell as she nearly lost her footing, when Peyton awkwardly reached out to help her from crashing onto the floor.

"Thanks," she spoke softly before heading out the door, using the wall for a tiny bit of support.

Brooke remained in her seat on the carpeted floor, trying to make sense of this weird situation in her drunken state, as she looked onto her blonde-haired friend, who looked just as lost as she.

--

Haley carefully maneuvered herself down the stairs, clinging to the handrails. Looking into the den, she grimaced, unable to understand why anyone would want to host such a party—it was a mess. People were passed out all over, and plastic red cups adorned the tabletops like confetti.

At first, her idea was to step out of the uncomfortable position she found herself in: hanging out with her previous best friend's current best friend. Instead, she decided that for one night, it might not hurt to tend to the wounds with some alcohol. She wondered where her boyfriend was, but the task of finding him sounded much too complex at that point.

Upon entering the kitchen, she saw several slumbering young ladies, utilizing the breakfast table. She smiled goofily at a half-empty bottle of Grey Goose perched on top of the fridge, reaching for it greedily. A balcony door, beside the breakfast area, that she had not realized existed opened up, to reveal an unrecognizable shadow.

"Need some help there, little one?"

Nathan laughed heartily at the sight of Haley balancing on her tiptoes, attempting to grab a liquor bottle from atop of the refrigerator.

Either he hadn't had his share of alcohol or Nathan just really knew how to hold himself when intoxicated. Without waiting for an answer, he walked in front of Haley and reached over her with ease.

The nearness of him allowed for her to take in his natural and masculine scent, which was intoxicating in itself. A faintness of his cologne remained. In her many months and couple years of dating, she'd strongly decided that if the boy smelled bad, it wasn't going to work. Chris usually accomplished overkill with his European colognes and kept as clean as possible. But, it just wasn't as toe-curling as Nathan's musk.

She nearly gasped at her inner thoughts. What was she thinking? This was Nathan Scott meaning that: she wasn't the only girl who thought he smelled good. And why was she comparing him to her boyfriend?

"Haley?"

Their eyes met as he said her name. He stood planted in front of her as he requested her attention. Those deep, oceanic blue eyes were clouded with mystery.

"Yeah?"

"You look way too wasted to be taking anymore shots,"

"What? No, I don't,"

He chuckled again and brought his free hand to her chest. She didn't flinch, but rather waited. She wasn't expecting him to grope her or anything, but when she felt no movement except a tiny tug on the material of her shirt, she looked down.

Nathan's fingers pulled gently at a white tag that stuck out of the front of her top.

"Oh… oops,"

She couldn't help but to laugh at herself. Normally, she might have been embarrassed and turned a shade of beet red, but she was already flushed from her consumption of liquor, which had in turn given her the inhibitions of a child—careless and completely unaware.

Ignoring Nathan's presence, she grabbed the hem of the borrowed shirt and pulled it off. His jaw dropped as he scanned the curve of her waist, flat stomach, and her bust, held back by a mere bra.

He gulped, not knowing what to do or what to say.

Haley grinned at him like a kid as she put the camisole back on, properly.

"Thanks… oh, and thanks for this, too," she said as she took the Grey Goose bottle from his hands.

Next, she grabbed some cups to substitute as shot glasses and skipped her way out of the kitchen, leaving behind a dazed and highly confused Nathan Scott.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note:** Thanks for the patience, everyone! And also for continuing to read and enjoy this fic! I really do like keep you readers entertained as much as I like writing it. (**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the characters, ideas, plot, etc. to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

Slowly and as least painfully as possible, Haley opened her eyes, allowing the sunshine's entrance.

"Oh… my… God…" she moaned, squinting to block harmful UV rays.

She normally wasn't a headache person, but today was just one of those days. She felt like her heart was beating right next to her brain. There was no use of trying to get up, at that very instant. She brought her hands to her face, running them down to her chin, trying to wake herself up. Deciding that she could afford to squeeze in a few more minutes, she pulled up the covers. But, she realized that she'd never seen such an intriguing comforter before—leopard print? Who the hell did she know that had a leopard print blanket?

"Hales, you up?"

She relaxed, hearing Lucas' soothingly familiar voice.

"Yeah, I'm up. Luke, when did you get a new blanket? And why?" Haley teased with a yawn.

"What? You know that we're still at Brooke's, right?"

She jolted awake at his mention, sitting upright in the suddenly uncomfortable bed. She studied her surroundings coming to understand that her best friend's statement was quite true.

Lucas approached the bedside, taking a seat beside his friend.

"Do you remember last night, kiddo?"

"Ugh… you're actually making me think, right now?" she whined.

He chuckled lightly.

Her eyes widened, fragments of her memory flooding her thoughts.

'Wait a second… I stripped? What?! Who did I strip in front of…? Did I take off more than my shirt… ah! I don't remember!'

Then, she recalled her actual first taste of the very liquid poison that was leaving her head pounding, eyes dry, memory-jogged, and completely oblivious to everything.

"Damn your little girlfriend and her peer-pressure!"

"Look, I know that… alcohol does tend for people to make mistakes or have totally unintended behavior… but, there's something that happened last night and I'm not sure if you remember…"

She prayed to the heavens that it wasn't Luke that she had stripped for.

"Out with it, Lucas!" she barked irritably, trying to hide her nervousness.

"Well—"

"Good morning, sunshine! Don't you look like shit," Brooke said more as a statement than as a question.

She entered the bedroom, perky as ever, interrupting Lucas.

"So, you and P. Sawyer were getting along pretty well, last night,"

Brooke Davis and that infamous mouth of hers—what a combination.

"Actually, that's what I was going to tell you," Luke added.

--

"_Hey, Lucas… have you seen Haley?"_

_Luke was in a small conversation with a couple of flirty underclassmen when Chris had approached him._

"_Uh… she's probably with Brooke judging by when I saw them last… actually, I wonder where Brooke is, too,"_

_He subtly suggested a mini search-and-rescue simply because freshman girls sure did talk a lot._

_After sifting their way through a crowded and dimly lit basement, and the bare kitchen, the two boys decided to check the aforementioned prohibited area—the upstairs bedrooms. As Lucas carefully climbed the staircase he had to laugh at himself, considering that in the back of his mind sat the idea that this was his first time to see Brooke's bedroom. He wondered if she was tidy or unkempt, preferred purple and pinks to red and blacks, or any other intimate details._

_Both Chris and Lucas paused on the steps when they heard a loud thump and a fit of female giggles to follow. Eyeing each other questioningly, they strode with purpose towards the boisterous ruckus._

_In the middle of an exotic animal print covered bed, were three girls tangled in a web-like manner, laughing hysterically with the occasional slurred comments, inducing even further laughter. Lucas' eyes widened with utter shock to see who the three girls were—Haley James, Brooke Davis… and Peyton Sawyer. Chris really didn't know too much about Peyton, but he looked just as stunned to see his cute little girlfriend pretty intoxicated, rolling around with two very attractive girls. When did Haley start hanging out with girls? More specifically, when did she start hanging out with girls who were just screaming __**trouble**?_

--

Lucas vividly remembered his first day of school in Tree Hill and how a certain little stranger was getting picked on by a group of mean girls. He made his way towards the action in a heroic manner, to her side, silencing the bullies, more so because they had developed instant crushes on the new student. What irked him even more was the curly-haired blonde that had captured his attention. To be truthful, the very moment he saw her, his insides had softened. But, as he watched her watching the girl get picked on, cruelly and without emotion, he buried his initial reaction, running to the attention of, unbeknownst to him at the time, Haley James.

"You, Brooke… and uh… Peyton were drunk as hell, hugging each other and I swore there was some borderline lesbian behavior, but Brooke's been trying to convince me and the other guys otherwise,"

Haley smacked her palm against her forehead.

"Chris!"

She couldn't believe she forgot her about her boyfriend. But, who were the _other guys_ that Lucas was referring to? There were so many things to think about at that point that her out-of-nowhere chumminess with Peyton was the last thing on her mind.

"Okay… that's it… you're getting up and out of my bed. And since everyone else has already helped me clean up the house, Princess Haley can come downstairs and join us for breakfast, okay?" Brooke cooed sarcastically as she pulled the haggard girl out of bed.

She loved catching other people in their spoiled rotten moments, taking the self-love accusations off of her.

Everyone headed out of the room with Haley as the caboose, enticed by who had stayed for the sleepover and how distant acquaintances had changed their status, overnight. As she started to pull her tangled locks out of a long-gone pony-tail and into a loose bun, a wide grin appeared in her features at the peculiarity of it all—from Luke and Brooke's sudden attraction to one another to Chris' arrival and to the very first drop of hard liquor on her tongue.

Brooke and Lucas slipped into the kitchen, returning to their seats to eat some of their breakfast.

"Is the virgin drunk awake yet?" Tim asked impishly, while he spooned some scrambled eggs into his mouth.

Chris glared at him, gnawing on a piece of toast. But, by now he knew that the idiot jock was harmless and just like to run his mouth.

Haley followed shortly after her friends' entrance, surprised to find the breakfast area beautifully arranged with plates of morning goodies from muffins to freshly cooked bacon. Around the table, she quickly noticed a couple of Lucas' teammates, Tim and Jake, Peyton, and even her boyfriend. As Lucas and Brooke took their seats, she looked at her surroundings warily, feeling out of place. Chris seemed to fit in more than she did.

Haley found a vacant seat in between Chris and Peyton, but refused to even look at the food plated before her. As gorgeous as the food looked, the smell was nauseating.

"Skip the butter, but here… it helps,"

Haley smiled somewhat bashfully as Peyton handed her a slice of bread.

"Thanks,"

"How's my baby feeling?"

Chris greeted her lovingly as he wrapped his lanky arm around her shoulder. Just then, an additional person entered the room, his eyes falling in direct contact with Haley's and a well-practiced smirk forming on his lips.

He had to admit: that college kid was a dope for leaving someone like Haley behind. He was friendly and a cool enough guy, but a complete pushover if Nathan had anything to say about it.

Nathan smiled secretively when he caught _her_ attention; whether she remembered last night or not, he could give a rip. It was something small and discreet between the two of them and he was sure, her memory would eventually catch up to her. He couldn't understand why he was reveling in the fact that she had fixed her shirt in front of him. It was just that she could be so damn seductive without even intending to seduce him—it was unfamiliar, yet fun.

After his awkward run-in with his classmate in the kitchen, he was left feeling high and dry. He tried to drown out the feeling of teetering male hormones and the image of a not nearly naked Haley James, by chugging down another beer or two and eventually snuck into one of the guest bedrooms, vegging out to a late-night movie.

It was almost three in the morning when he felt someone climbing into the bed beside him, stirring him awake. He recognized the slender figure of the girl who slid her arm around his waist, smelling of alcohol and requesting special attention.

"Missed me, Nate?" Peyton's words slurred, dripping with sex.

He stayed quiet, but turned to face her. Their fighting and her bitching was done, for now at least.

Haley returned a small smile to Nathan upon his entry into the lively kitchen. He went straight to the refrigerator, pulling out a carton of orange juice and leaning against the balcony door, beside the stainless steel fridge. That's when it dawned on her: The kitchen. The balcony door. **Nathan**. _The strip_.

"Uh… uh… um… huh?" she stuttered, her boyfriend's words have blown right past her.

She kept glancing from Nathan to the dry toast in her hand.

'Oh, God… oh, God… please don't tell me he remembers…' she thought appallingly.

Suddenly, she wished that she'd gone to church when Chris invited her and that she had prayed more often, pleading to the Lord, himself, to forgive her for the incredibly distasteful sin she'd performed.

After downing whatever was left in the juice carton, Nathan casually allowed his eyes to drift back onto Haley. He chuckled to himself. It looked as if her memory had caught up with her quicker than he had expected it to.

--

_Dear Journal,_

_Dad came back from his "business trip" this morning and said he'll be around for the next few weeks. He even mentioned a family dinner, which means, "Haley, let's go eat without your stupid-drunk-of-a-mother,"—that's him speaking, by the way, not me. As usual, they aren't really talking and avoid each other a lot. Occasionally, I can hear an argument here and there._

_Chris came to visit and surprised the heck out of me. He showed up at Luke's and being the idiot that I am, I agreed to go with him over to his house. His mom is almost as bad as mine. Well, I guess they're crazy, but just on different levels. Anyway, it was sweet of him. I did miss him. But, why is it when he's already left and gone back to school is when I remember that… oh, yeah! I totally wanted to break up with him! GAH! I just know that when he was here, I had this dumb grin on my face the entire time and somewhere, hidden way in the back of my head, there's a mini-Haley screaming at me to end it, already. And breaking up over the phone is so pathetic. He deserves better._

_I finally went to one of those lame parties that Lucas has always been inviting me too. But, this time… Brooke invited me (it was at her house) and I actually went. Not to sound cliché, but I got wasted. Who would've thought? Haley James and 'wasted' together in a sentence just sounds strange, doesn't it? In fact, I got tipsy to the point where apparently, Peyton, Brooke and I had some lesbian action going on that led to Peyton and me being on some sort of speaking terms again. She was a lot nicer than what my-seven-year-old-self remembered her to be. Brooke is… she's okay, I guess. But, I refuse to admit that to Lucas, who went on a date with her and really seems to like her. I don't think he'll admit that to me, either._

_In other news, I showed my bra to Nathan Scott. Yep. Vivid details have seemed to escape me, but for some reason… I remember taking off my shirt in front of him; just him. And judging by that stupid smirk he had on his face the next morning… he remembered too. Pervert. Ah, well. Better him than... anyone, really. Hee. Who am I kidding? The number of bras that boy has probably seen. Yuck. I'm so excited for SAT Prep class… but, not really. That prick will never let me live this one down._

_At first, I thought I might have done it in front of Lucas! I'm glad he wasn't there. He would've shit a brick. Not to mention how Chris would've acted if he found out…_

Suddenly, Haley didn't feel like writing anymore. Dropping her pen onto her notebook, she rolled onto her back, turning her head to stare out of her window.

It was kind of a gut check to see Chris again. His gesture was sweet, of course. Any girl would be lucky to have a boyfriend like him—just not her.

Having met him the first time… she admittedly swooned for him for a good year before he had even acknowledged her. She was at the public library working on some school project with her assigned partner who just so happened to go to church with Chris. As he introduced himself, it was evident in his swagger that he was an upperclassman; of course she assumed maturity came along with it. He was cute. Her classmate adulated him about his music skills, specifically his participation with the church. She simply listened that day, enthralled by his perfect teeth and green eyes. Like every typical teenage girl, her insides flittered around and with every passing minute, she felt herself being sucked in.

Haley soon discovered that the feeling was quite fleeting and unstable. During the course of his stay, he'd affectionately hug or entwine their fingers and all she could do was smile over at him. She wanted to reassure him that yes, she did notice even, if the emotion behind it was hollow and drab. His departure this morning caused a sadness to loom over her. An overwhelming sense of dread surged through her veins as he kissed her goodbye. Self-consciousness struck her as she feared that as she continued to meet people, inevitably she'd fall out just as quickly as she'd fallen in.

She felt listless on the early Sunday evening as she thought back to the weekends' events. The evening sky seemed to settle in as brown and orange leaves floated endlessly from the nearly barren oak in her front yard. The movement of the leaves as they danced uncaringly to their deaths slowly lulled Haley into a deep slumber.

--

Haley hid somewhat behind Lucas, walking extremely closely behind, as the pair made way into the school Monday morning.

"Hales, what are you doing? I know you like me and all…"

Lucas peeped over his shoulder, eyeing his friend with an inquisitive expression through his narrowed eyes.

"Huh? I'm not doing anything. Just walk, Lucas!" She commanded through her nervous twittering of laughter.

His expression fell into an amused one as he shook his head from side-to-side at her strange behavior. Haley quickly glimpsed over his shoulder, keeping her guards up. She denied Nathan Scott any credit of actually being nice, preparing herself for ultimate high school humility. He must've informed all of his friends (and that was a lot of people) this morning about her intoxicated antics (which she still didn't remember why she'd done it). In her state of paranoia, she observed her surroundings cautiously, recognizing a few people from the party, but none seemed to be pointing and laughing at her. They made it all the way to her locker, when she finally inhaled a fresh breath of air, and let out a small sigh.

It was a good thing that Lucas seemed a little preoccupied as he _casually_ scanned through the halls for his recently beloved Brooke. Okay, maybe 'beloved' was an exaggeration, but she was just thankful that he was too busy to notice her edginess.

Maybe the gods weren't so pissed with her for she did not see Nathan Scott in sight. If she made it to fifth period without seeing him, she might be able to force him to swear to secrecy in the private quarters of their classroom.

"What's up, Nate,"

She gasped, a little louder than necessary. She looked to her right about ten lockers down, peeking past her open locker door.

'DAMN YOU, JAKE _JAGIELSKI_!' She screamed inwardly.

The lockers had to be arranged alphabetically, didn't they? She watched as the two exchanged greetings, stirring up small talk, magnetizing her best friend into their conversation. Lucas gently patted her back as he walked over to meet and greet, as well.

'Great. There goes my invisible wall,'

Her lips tightened into a thin line.

If possible, a glowing light bulb would have grown right out of her head as the grim look on her face instantly brightened.

'Thank you, Lucas!' she thought, grateful for the distraction.

She slammed her locker shut and dashed off to her first period class without as much as a goodbye to her friend.

"Cute," Nathan said randomly as his two teammates passed words amongst one another.

Both Lucas and Jake stopped and looked in the direction of what or rather whom he was commentating on. More confused by Haley's abandoning him than Nathan's remark; Lucas stared after his friend's retreating figure with his mouth slightly open and a confused furrow in his brows. Jake just rolled his eyes at Nathan's supposed harmless interest in Haley ever since Saturday night, it seemed. Why he just didn't take care of the girl beside him, he couldn't understand.

--

The entire day dragged on and Haley was feeling like a damn near fool, slinking around the school, trying to avoid Nathan Scott. There were a couple of times where she had to go the exact opposite route to get to a class and yes, she was late, but if Nathan and his fat head hadn't been in the way, she would've made it on time.

'I hate you, Nathan Scott, and your manipulative ways that caused me to get naked for you…'

Haley sighed irritably as she slouched into her seat for her fifth period class. She was tired from playing hide-and-seek when there wasn't even a seeker. As soon as _he_ came in, she was letting him have it and in the worst way possible.

Nathan strolled into SAT Prep, right on time, as the bell struck, grabbing his seat across from Haley's. He'd been thinking about the curious girl on and off, knowing how all too easy it would be to mention Saturday night. There were so many tactics available for him to go about the whole stripping incident.

"Haley," he said, sending her a friendly nod.

"Nathan," she blandly replied.

"So… your boyfriend seems like an interesting guy,"

"You mean, Chris? Yeah… he's great, isn't he?"

"He's cool,"

"Mm hmm…" She confirmed.

Nathan could tell she was anxious by the way she was biting down on her plump bottom lip and swinging her legs back and forth. She really did make it way too easy for him.

'Be cool, Nathan,' he assured himself.

"So, I heard that you, my girlfriend, and Brooke were involved in some lesbian orgy. Should I be worried… maybe turned on?" he mocked.

Haley rolled her eyes.

"I should have gone with my gut feeling and just not have gone. My first time to one of these stupid parties and rumors are going around that I'm gay…"

He chuckled good-naturedly.

"I guess you and Peyton are somewhat cool now?"

"Um… I guess. It has to work on both ends. If it's just too weird, then, well… you know,"

"Yeah, well—"

"Look, Nathan, I need to know what happened Saturday night," She cut him off harshly.

The day was obviously wearing her thin. Patience was not on Haley's side today and after waiting for him to say something and being completely unsatisfied, she couldn't hold off the topic any longer.

"Huh?"

"I may have been drunk, but I know that it was you and I know that you remember. I just don't know why I did what I did… and I was wondering if you knew…" she admitted in a defeatist attitude.

"Oh, you mean when you took your shirt off?" He smirked.

Haley didn't even bother to act shocked.

"Announce it to the whole freakin' world, why don't you," she hissed tiredly.

"My charms were just too much for you to handle…" he said in a husky tone.

She looked at him skeptically. She wasn't that drunk, was she?

Nathan cleared his throat ready to retract his aforementioned statement.

"Your shirt was inside out and I pointed it out. You were just fixing it. I don't know why you did it right then and there, but you did,"

He watched her perfect lips form an 'o' and relief wash over her entire body.

"It was quite the show, Haley James," he added for good measure.

The features on her face wrinkled up and before he knew it, she lay a rough smack down on his arm.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note:** To those of you reading along with this story, I'm sorry for the delayed update. The next chapter will be posted a lot faster than it took me to post this one! I promise! Wasn't the season finale kind of sad?! Okay, anyway. Thanks for reading! Enjoy! **xoxo**

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the characters, ideas, plot, etc. to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

Haley turned her key roughly into the lock at the front door of Keith and Karen's. When the keyhole refused to unlock, she grunted with frustration, on the verge of barreling through the glass windows, instead.

"Haley?"

The startled girl turned to come face to face with Karen Roe, concern written all over her face. Lucas' mother had an incredible gift, for in that instant, despite her worried expression, she calmed Haley a great deal.

"Hey, Karen. I'm… I'm sorry, I just…" she mumbled, fumbling with her words.

"If I didn't know you any better or didn't sign your paycheck, I would've thought you were trying to break into the café," she teased with a hint of a smile. "Come on, let's get inside,"

The graceful woman turned the key with ease and waited for the younger girl to enter before she followed and relocked the front door. The two were forty-five minutes ahead of opening time and began their usual routine of preparing for their slow Saturday mornings, until about 10:30am, that is. After setting up the variety of coffee machines and a fresh new pile of pastries into the front display, Haley plopped herself down onto the stool behind the register. Karen was in the kitchen, pulling out her homemade and refrigerated batter to bake another batch of muffins and scones. She also set a kettle of water onto a burner.

They still had about fifteen minutes until they were officially opened, when Mrs. Roe reappeared to the front with two mugs of hot tea. She handed one of the cups to Haley.

"Don't worry, it's caffeinated. I just thought tea might be better at relaxing you than your normal cup of Joe. You kids and your coffee,"

"Thanks," Haley smiled briefly, accepting the comforting beverage.

"So, Lucas tells me that Jimmy is back in town. How is your father? In fact, how are both of your parents?"

Having grown up with Lucas, meant having to grow up with his parents as well; who were extremely involved ones at that. There was a time when it offended her that he'd tell everything to his mother, specifically, because the courageous woman wasn't afraid to bring it right back up to the timid girl. She was embarrassed because the James family was not anything like the Roes. But, she learned that Keith and Karen brought up those often times, awkward but direct topics, for her benefit. They gave her a guardian figure to lean upon and to gain support from. After the fourth grade or so, Haley learned to trust them as much as she trusted Luke; never again were their conversations awkward.

"After the silence treatment the two were giving each other this whole week, I had quite the 'rude awakening' this morning. Hah! At least they were acknowledging each other, right? Is… is it terrible that sometimes I just… I just want him to break it off with my mom?"

Haley sighed into her mug, hoping to cool down the steaming drink, as well.

Karen looked at her with a tight-lipped smile, trying to hide the sadness that crept through her veins at the girl's question. She couldn't bear to think how it would be if her son ever felt that way about her and Keith.

"No," she softly answered.

"I wish… he'd take me with him, wherever he did decide to go. But then, I'd be leaving you guys and Tree Hill and only everything I've ever known…"

Karen smiled carefully, her eyes shining with sympathy. She didn't know what to say. She never really knew what to say.

"Can we just not talk about it anymore? Anyway, the semester finals are in a couple of weeks. It'll be a very welcome distraction," Haley said more to herself than to Luke's mom.

Karen nodded agreeably, feeling as though she'd accomplished nothing with this mini-conversation, and began to head over to the front door.

She was about to turn the lock open, five minutes to nine, when she heard a diminutive voice.

"Thank you, Karen,"

--

Jimmy James had been serious about the dinner date he'd promised his daughter upon his arrival. That was surprise #1. Well, the fact that he was hanging around long enough to even take her out to dinner was probably _surprise #1_. But, Haley learned to grow much more forgiving of her father over the years—with less expectancy, came less heartache.

So when he offered, she'd eagerly accepted his invitation, conflicting with her evening plans with Lucas. Lately, he had been pretty busy with his new interest, who was demanding of time and attention. She refused to go the week without a traditional movie veg-out and had planned accordingly so with him on Friday, after school. He was hesitant, of course, wanting to leave his schedule flexible for Brooke's convenience. Now, she was going to have to remove herself from his Saturday night slot. She doubted he would mind, that is, if Brooke wasn't too busy.

Haley picked up the phone, dialing Lucas' house while grimacing at the thought of the infamous Miss Davis. She didn't know what to think of her and whatever category of a relationship she was developing with her best friend. The girl was practically a walking, talking heartbreak waiting to happen. Oh, well. Lucas was a big boy.

"It scares me how telepathic we can be, best friend. I was just about to call you," Lucas answered in a falsetto tone.

"Uh huh… well, look, it's about tonight—"

"Yeah… about tonight, Hales… I'm not going to be able to do 'movie night'. I'm sorry,"

Her words caught in her throat for a moment, before she realized that she was the one who had to re-schedule, anyway. Yet, it irked her.

"Oh, no, it's okay. I was calling for a rain check, anyway,"

"Yay!" a female voice burst in the background; a raspy female voice.

"Who's that?" Haley asked, surprised by the sudden noise.

"Hi, Haley-Baley! It's Brooke,"

This time her voice rang clear through Haley's phone.

"Uh… Lucas? Am I on speakerphone?"

It was so out of character for him to display their conversation like that. She felt violated for some reason; as if her and Luke's get-together was just a big fat joke.

"Yeah," he admitted sheepishly.

"Well, can you take me off it?" she said coldly.

She heard what sounded like the hissing of a cat. Too bad the Roes didn't have any pets. Haley rolled her eyes at, most likely, Brooke's commentary animal sound.

"Sorry about that," Luke apologized quickly.

Brushing off his pathetic and meaningless apology, Haley replied,

"I'm not your mom, Luke. You don't need permission to blow me off for the millionth time to be with Brooke. So, please don't act like I'm pulling your teeth out when I ask if you want to hang out. I don't take it personally because I know you guys are pretty serious, or so it seems. All I'm asking is for you to treat me like your friend… best friend… or whatever,"

Haley hung up before giving him the chance to reply, but she could care less at that point. She dropped her phone carelessly onto her bed, letting out a frustrated sigh, as she ran both of her hands through her hair.

--

Sitting directly across from her dad, Haley fiddled with the array of utensils spread out before her. She'd give more than anything to be sharing a booth with her dad at Keith & Karen's rather than some fancy seafood restaurant in Wilmington. But, she went along with her dad's recommendation, wanting to avoid running into Lucas, at all costs.

"You okay, Haleybub?"

Jimmy observed his daughter's quiet demeanor and gave a go at breaking the unwavering silence.

"Mom would've liked this place," She half-heartedly threw out, dodging eye contact with her dad by opening up her menu.

"She was already out when I came home," he shrugged.

"I see,"

_Silence_.

Mr. James cleared his throat, again cracking the quietness with his whip of a tongue.

"How's life, kiddo?"

This time she eyed her father wearily.

"Great," she replied in such a low tone, her voice nearly croaked.

Thankfully, both father and daughter caught sight of the approaching server, his paces ever so slow. She waited curiously for her father's reaction when the waiter offered their wine selection, which he stiffly declined. He used to drink quite casually with her mother, especially when they attended their friends' soirees on the weekends. They were carefree and loving. Her eyes misted at the sudden wistful memory.

The clinking of their silverware against the plates was the only sounds now, aside from the casual conversations from the other tables wafting through the air. The entire environment was drab and dull: it was quite suffocating, in fact. While chewing the shrimp in her mouth, she turned to see what other kinds of people were seated, if anyone was as boring as she and her father were. Her eyes became transfixed with a vixen-like redhead, seated at the bar. She was staring straight at Haley. Despite her naturally sultry looks, she looked sharply dressed, clad in a fitted yet professional beige suit.

"Dad, do you see that woman? She won't stop staring at me," Haley nervously pointed out.

Without even looking up, Jimmy wiped his mouth with the napkin that had been in his lap and placed it onto his place. He didn't answer.

The way he had gripped the teal green cloth caused Haley to raise her eyebrow. She swung right back around to see that the redhead had disappeared from sight. She puffed out a small breath of air and followed her dad by putting her napkin onto her plate as well.

"Haley,"

"Mm hmm?"

"I feel… I feel that you've grown to become a very responsible and mature young lady,"

She felt a heaviness from his out-of-the-blue compliment and decided to remain quiet.

"And… well, there are a few things that I've been wanting to tell you,"

Her heart flip-flopped against her chest. Thinking back to her talk with Karen, it seemed that fate had been listening and dealt her a hand that suddenly she did not want. She waited for the "d" word.

"As you know, your mom and I… well, we've had a bit of a falling out…"

"Dad, I don't need the sugar-coated words. Just… say… it…" she struggled with her own demand.

"Your mother and I decided to get a divorce…"

She shut her eyes momentarily, anticipating the sting that was to come; there was none.

"… ten months ago,"

But, the next oncoming waves of pain, she had not prepared for.

--

Haley seated herself at a table at the tutoring center. She often went there to study and had even volunteered some time to tutor a freshman or two. But, today, she was meeting up with several girls from her U.S. History class for a project, Brooke Davis included.

"Ah, Tutorgirl!" Brooke nearly squealed.

Haley looked up, recognizing the rather annoying voice, but with a look of skepticism.

"Tutorgirl?"

"Oh, don't deny it. Luke informed me about your favorite pastime,"

Haley rolled her eyes and offered a plastic smile, showing a lack of amusement.

Ever since her little tiff with Lucas, they'd both been avoiding each other. She was fed up with him brushing her off, while he wanted to give her time to cool down before he approached her. He noticed a change in her mood and her enthusiasm; his mother had mentioned a few things as well. Not to mention, Brooke and him had officially become girlfriend and boyfriend. He was a tad bit occupied. Surprisingly, his new girlfriend felt terrible for what she felt was her fault and despite the two friends' current status, she kept her boldness alive when it came to Haley James.

The rest of the group entered, rescuing Haley from any further uncomfortable chit-chat with Brooke. Erica, president of the junior class, and Rachel, a cheerleader with a _well-known reputation_ grabbed their seats, joining the two other girls.

As the girls worked on their poster board assignment, the school heating system was beginning to bother everyone in that tutoring room. Sweaters were peeled off, one-by-one. Haley was busy clipping some magazine photos as Brooke begrudgingly looked up dates in their history text. Erica was busy at the copier when Rachel subtly approached her from behind.

"Oh my God, did you see that Haley girl's arms?"

Erica swiveled around, irritated by the other girl's sudden close proximity and careless as to whatever she had observed in that tasteless and absurd manner of hers. But, she found her statement was eerily unexaggerated.

Sporting only a three-quarter sleeved t-shirt, the freshly scarred arms of Haley's moved back and forth as she nonchalantly slid a pair of scissors along a magazine article.

"Let's hope she doesn't 'slip' while using those scissors," scoffed the cheerleader, in a mocking tone, twisting the ends of her red strands around her fingers.

Haley noticed immediately. She felt the intent stares. She glanced up, noticing the sneering, judgmental gaze of Rachel's and the wide eyes of Erica's. They were both just as hurtful. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, as she realized her mistake. She reached haphazardly for her zip-up sweater, throwing it back on as she swept her belongings into her bag, catching Brooke's attention.

"Oh, no; you are _not_ leaving me with Crazy #1 and Crazy #2," Brooke whined.

"I have to go, Brooke… I um… I forgot about uh… shifts that I picked up over at the café,"

She stood, trying to front her ashamed emotions, as she scrapped together an excuse.

"Fine, then I'm done for the day, too,"

Brooke let out a small sigh, closing the heavy history book shut. She was never one to actually worry about a project, anyway. She slowly stacked up stray papers, not noticing that Haley James was long gone and her conniving cheer-mate walked unflinchingly towards her, her lips heavy with a topic of gossipy news.

Haley's mind buzzed and blurred with what had happened in the past five minutes. She had heard the exact words of that red-headed wench, Rachel. Rachel reminded her of another red-headed stranger that had been thrust into her life, so abruptly, her eyes blurring with tears at the memory.

"_As you know, your mom and I… well, we've had a bit of a falling out…"_

"_Dad, I don't need the sugar-coated words. Just… say… it…" she struggled with her own demand._

"_Your mother and I decided to get a divorce…"_

_She shut her eyes momentarily, anticipating the sting that was the come; there was none._

"… _ten months ago,"_

_Mr. James didn't even budge as he said it. Ten months. Those heavy words lifted from his shoulders and he breathed a bit of fresh air._

"_And during that time… well, I've actually met someone,"_

_He had to tell her everything. And with no emotional response from her, yet, he took advantage of her speechlessness._

"_She's been dying to meet you and I've been dying to introduce her to you. I… told her to meet me here. Um… her name is Carolyn,"_

_Nothing really registered in Haley's brain, after the fact that her father just admitted his ten month-long divorce with her mother. Her thoughts drifted aimlessly as she wondered if Taylor or any of her other siblings knew and if they did, why she was so out of the loop. She wondered if there was to be a custody battle over her, but then she considered that she was going to be eighteen in only a couple of years. They didn't care. She knew her father would be far too infatuated with his precious Carolyn to have time to rebuild any relationship with one of his many children._

_In her peripheral line of sight, she saw the very same clean-cut redhead, who had been sitting at the bar earlier, heading their way. Carolyn._

Standing in front of her locker, Haley pulled out extra textbooks she needed at home, cringing at the remembrance of that awful night. She rubbed at the self-inflicted wounds, over the top of her sleeves, ashamedly. She was utterly pathetic. Wasn't Rachel's reaction precisely what she yearned for? It was attention, wasn't it?

There was no precise explanation to why Haley had begun hurting herself, from the first several nights, when she slid out the glistening blade of the box-cutter she kept in her desk drawer. Watching the blood droplets beading in a straight line against her searing skin temporarily pulled away from the anger she felt inside. Some nights she prayed that her father would decide to make a surprise visit and walk in on her and see how he had broken her. She knew that would never happen—a visit. After that night, he flew back out to D.C. with Carolyn; that's where she lived. Her mom never came home that evening.

--

"Knock, knock,"

Brooke stood at the entrance of Peyton's bedroom, noticing her friend doodling furiously away as her grungy hits blared through her stereo.

Peyton turned her head over her shoulder, throwing her best friend a keen smile as her blonde curls flounced around, following her movements. She picked up her stereo remote, shutting of the music.

"Are you busy? I… I don't really want to bother you if…"

"Brooke, when have you ever cared if I was busy or not?" Peyton said with a teasing grin.

Swiveling her computer chair around, she motioned for her friend to sit on the bed.

The usually bouncy girl stood still, her hands jammed into the pocket of her stylish leather jacket.

"You know what… I… I'll just come back,"

Her words betrayed her as she stood planted in the same spot, stationary.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Peyton asked, finally noticing her friend's strange behavior.

"If I tell you something… this has to stay between you and me, okay?"

"Uh… okay… what is it? You're not in trouble are you?"

"Look… if someone we knew was… uh… hurting themselves… well, okay. What do you say to someone if… you don't know them that well but, they're…"

Brooke's words dispersed as did her thoughts.

"What? Hurting themselves? Who's hurting themselves?"

Peyton's eyes widened with a feeling of fear bubbling inside of her as she watched her best friend's eyes spilling over with tears. The only other time she had seen Brooke this emotional was when Peyton's mother had died a year into their friendship. She got up from her desk chair walking over to wrap her arms comfortingly around her best friend, still clueless as to why she was hurting.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's note:** I know the previous chapter was very intense; maybe, too intense. But, it's an important aspect of this story and for anyone who has actually experienced that type of pain it's unbelievably hard to just write it down and have the reader understand. It's not a beautiful subject. For anyone who was offended by it, I do apologize. (**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the plot, characters, ideas, etc. based on the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

Anyway, enjoy this chapter. Everyone have an awesome Independence Day!

**xoxo**

--

A teenage boy climbed out of a boyishly black SUV, resembling its owner with its sleek darkness and powerful build. Nathan scowled, ruffling his raven hair through his fingers, when he recognized the light blue Volkswagen beetle on his girlfriend's driveway. He didn't hate Brooke. They were just much too alike, which caused their constant rivalry.

As he took long strides toward the front door, an inadvertent smirk suddenly replaced the frown that had previously splayed across his lips. He crept into the front foyer and up the steps to Peyton's room, perfectly avoiding the creaks due to his late night visits while Mr. Sawyer quietly slumbered. Nathan couldn't wait to see the girls' faces when he scared them shitless. Once in the corridor, he hid in the corner between the edge of her doorway and the linen closet. He tried to peek through the slit between the hinges and the frame, to see what they were doing. He was slightly taken aback to find the two girls standing close to the bedroom door. Then, his jaw dropped. Never in his years of growing up with Brooke, had he seen her shed a tear. Yet, there she was, weeping, while his girlfriend pulled her hair away from her damp face. He remained in his position, very uncomfortable with interrupting.

"Brooke, please talk to me. What's going on?"

"I… I…I don't… even know… know why I'm… crying," she wretched through her sobs.

Peyton led her friend to her bed, allowing the two to sit down and talk.

"I… I know that… that you and… and Haley aren't fr… friends, anymore but…"

Nathan's ear perked at the mention of Haley's name.

"Brooke, calm down. Just take a few deep breaths,"

Minutes dragged by as Nathan carefully shifted his weight from side to side, not wanting his legs to fall asleep as he waited patiently on the other side of the door.

"Okay. So, what does Haley James have to do with this?"

"Well, you know how we have history class together?"

The blonde nodded firmly.

"We had this group project and… and I was in a group with Rachel and Erica Marsh and Haley. Erica and Haley said we should stay after school to work on the project, so we wouldn't have to do so much on the weekend, so we all did. In the middle of working, Haley just jumps up and says she has to go to work and leaves, but I didn't think anything of it because… well, anyway. Rachel and Erica come up to me and ask me if I saw Haley's arms…"

"Her arms?"

"They said… and I don't even know if it's true… but, supposedly she… she… I mean… they said that she had… scars… on her wrists,"

The reaction on Peyton's face mirrored the look on Nathan's as he listened to Brooke's confession.

"I don't know what to do. I'm not that great of friends with her, but Lucas is. They've been best friends since childhood, but she's mad at him… because of me,"

"What? Don't say that shit! This is not your fault,"

"Even if it's not entirely my fault, I didn't help the situation, Peyton! If I even try to tell Lucas… he won't even believe me. He won't even find out the truth until they start talking and that's not happening anytime soon. She won't give him the time of day! He'll probably think I'm lying, hate me forever, or even worse… blame me and then, kick me to the curb…"

Peyton braced her friend by grasping a hold of her delicate shoulders.

"Oh my God, I'm so selfish… Haley's hurting herself and here I am whining about whether Lucas will stay with me or not,"

She covered her face with her hands, pulling away from her friend.

"Hey, hey. Brooke, it's normal to worry about things like that… it just means that you care. And I'm sure you'd feel that way even if the world was coming to an end. So… you're not going to tell Luke, huh?"

"Maybe… I should say something to her first. But, what if I upset her even more? I hardly know her and I'm sure she's think I'm this ravenous slut that just wants to overtake her best friend!"

Peyton didn't laugh, nor did she sympathize.

"Brooke, do you hear yourself right now? What is a 'ravenous slut', anyway? If anything, she'd appreciate that you were mature enough not to tattle and that it makes a difference that you cared enough to bring it up to her. Who cares if it ticks her off? She's hurting herself more than anyone ever has or will. Rachel's a dumb bitch and Erica is too chicken shit to do anything. You're her only hope,"

"Here, let me get you something to wipe that nose with, okay?"

Peyton stood up to fetch her friend some tissue, heading towards her bedroom door.

"Did you hear something?" Peyton asked, pausing before exited her room.

"Hear what?" Brooke asked her eyes mascara-stained eyes round with question.

Peyton walked over to her bedroom window, catching the sun as it reflected brightly off a familiar black car, catching her attention immediately. It was leaving her neighborhood, heading towards the main street. She could've sworn it looked like Nathan's car, yet she couldn't make out the driver. The only reason he'd be visiting without notice was one of his spontaneous booty calls. She rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Hey, Peyton?"

Her stray thoughts settled back deep into her skull as she came back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"I disagree with you,"

"Disagree with me about what, dear?" She inquired with a glint of a smile.

"I'm not her only hope, but maybe you can be…"

The blonde-haired girl reacted with wide eyes and a constriction in her heart, not knowing what to say. Mixed emotions settled in her gut as tried to imagine herself consoling Haley James. Maybe pre-second grade, it would've been possible, but not anymore. It was weird enough that her boyfriend seemed to take a curious interest in her ex-best friend's life, but Brooke too?

She was jealous. Here was Haley, probably going through the most difficult time of her life, yet she was completely jealous. And from that point on, Peyton Sawyer began to truly believe in the concept of 'karma'.

--

"Luke, was Haley in school today?"

Keith had just finished closing out the café for the evening before entering the back kitchen where his son was neatly piling away freshly washed dishes and silverware. With basketball practices involved, the Roes tried as little as possible to have Lucas work shifts at the café, but tonight, he was punished with dish duties, thanks to some late nights with Brooke.

Lucas let his mind backtrack to the day's earlier events.

"Um… yeah, I think so. I saw her like once… in the morning. Why? Oh, wait a sec, you know what? Brooke had a class project with her, so…"

Keith's raised his eyebrows in that signature way of his, taking note of his son's seemingly careless answers about his best friend.

"Well, you know that Haley always works on Thursdays evenings. She called in sick today and well, you know how she is. She'd come in with chicken pox if we let her. Just wondering if she's okay, that's all,"

Hearing this, Lucas rubbed the nape of his neck, trying to avoid his dad's gaze.

"We got into a little bit of a fight and well, she's probably trying to stay away from me,"

Keith grabbed a stool, showing his fatherly intentions of listening to his son.

"That's very unlike the Haley James that we know, don't you think?"

"What do you mean?"

The younger of the two Roes narrowed his eyes, a habit he'd grown into during serious situations. Karen used to scold him about it all the time.

His father chuckled before saying, "The only reason Haley wouldn't be the first to say something, which is to usually verbally assault you until you apologize, is if she made the mistake that caused his temporary rift between you two… and for some reason I find that highly unimaginable,"

"Gee, thanks Dad," Luke replied sarcastically.

"I mean, what am I supposed to do if she's mad at me for hanging out with my _girlfriend_? At first, I was just trying to give her some time because I'm sure that if she saw my face within 48 hours, she'd probably drop kick me. But, it's been over a week now and she's going out of her way to avoid me,"

Lucas didn't wait for his father to reply. Instead, he continued out his punishment, clearing away the rest of the plates.

--

It was Friday, which Haley was thankful for. She had seriously thought about skipping school, but her moral judgment kicked in at the last second. She nipped at her nails nervously, dreading her second period class—History. Once in class, she noticed that Rachel was absent and Erica acted as if nothing had happened the day before. The three girls worked silently on their project, cursing their missing redhead every so often. She noticed Brooke's extremely quiet mood as they worked. Maybe her icy exterior had finally had some affect on the peppy girl.

Brooke was lucky to have Lucas around. She wondered if the two stayed together long enough, where they would end up after graduation. It was, after all, only a year and a half away.

She'd had an annoying argument with Chris the night before, triggering her brain to think of Luke's relationship and how good he had it.

"_Why aren't you talking?" Chris asked, trying to hide his contempt._

"_What do you want me to talk about, Chris?" Her tone harsher than she meant it to be._

_He hesitated for a moment._

"_I… I don't know. Talk about how your day was… what's going with school… whether you're happy or not… if you miss me at all…"_

_His last suggestion came out as a hoarse whisper._

"_If I didn't miss you all the time… do you think I would be in such a pissy mood?" Haley bit out._

"_What's going on? Why are you acting like this?"_

_She glanced down at her inner wrists, running her fingers against a grazed line, anger boiling in her blood._

"_Have you ever considered that you're a couple thousand miles away from me? You left, expecting me to be happy! And you're going through all these changes in your life and I'm not in any one of them! I'm stuck in this hellhole and all you care about is if I miss you! Do you miss me? You say you miss me, but everything seems pretty dandy on your side of the continent,"_

_Chris was silent, unprepared for his girlfriend's onslaught. Several minutes passed, but the deafening quiet only absorbed Haley's anguish-filled words, making it harder and harder to break the silence._

"_Haley?"_

"Haley?"

She'd been thinking about their fight all day long. It was now fifth period and their argument still rang clearly in her ears.

"Haley?"

Nathan watched his desk mate finally raise her right arm, alerting the teacher of her presence as she slurred out the words,

"Here,"

Nathan had had trouble falling asleep the night before. During his sleepless night, he'd methodically mapped out a plan for approaching his classmate, with a script of what to carefully say and even the hand gestures to go with it. But, watching her now, proved his plan much more difficult than he'd expected. He searched her features for a trace of something, anything to give away a reason why she'd be doing this to herself. Maybe, Brooke was misinformed. What the hell did the blonde-mistakenly-born-as-a-brunette know, anyway? He fidgeted in his seat, uneasy with the thoughts that clouded his mind.

"Hello, Nathan?"

Haley's hand waving across his face awoke him from his distracted thoughts.

"Did you hear anything Mrs. Gardner said?"

He tried to smile, but he was pretty sure it ended up like a cheesy old smirk on his face.

She rolled her eyes in response.

"We're doing an in-class project. We have to come up with the definition, synonyms, and antonyms of our assigned 'five golden vocabulary words',"

The blank expression on Nathan's face encouraged Haley to further explain.

"You're my partner,"

"Oh, okay,"

"Everyone, come get your poster board and markers," The teacher announced over the murmur of her students.

--

Class went by quite sluggishly for Nathan and Haley. There was an undeniable awkward silence that shifted in the air between the two of them. Nathan flipped through a copy of Webster's dictionary while Haley neatly wrote out their fourth assigned word—_ostensible_.

"Did you find the definition, yet?"

His eyes were glued to the entry and a few seconds passed before he began, causing Haley to look up from her poster.

"_Ostensible: outwardly appearing as such; professed, pretended: an ostensible cheerfulness concealing sadness_..." He quoted directly from the text.

He looked up from the book, meeting eyes with his partner. She looked away nervously. In an effort to turn away from her face, he noticed her long sleeve had ridden up, revealing that Brooke had, in fact, been informed quite accurately. All of his previous night spent planning vanished as he uncontrollably jolted forward, grabbing her naked wrist. Seeing a slip of a scar on her pearly skin had done it. Seeing all the hurt and pain in that one thin wound had done it; and there were probably a lot more scars then just that one he'd seen.

Haley's eyes enlarged, but she did not pull herself away. It felt as though her heart leapt up and caught in her throat.

She felt his initial grasp loosen, yet he still held onto her, a look of determination in his eyes.

"It doesn't hurt," she finally breathed out in a hushed tone.

"Why would you do this to yourself?" His husky voice wavered with emotion.

He let go of her arm, not wanting to gain attention from their classmates.

"I… there's no excuse… I've just been going through some things… I'd rather not talk about it,"

"Promise me that you'll stop,"

A look of confusion settled in her dewy brown eyes. Why did it matter to Nathan Scott what she did with her life? They weren't even friends, really.

"Haley, promise me. If you don't… then… then, I'm sorry, but I'll have to tell someone else who _can_ help you,"

"Please don't tell anyone. I'll stop. I promise that I'll stop," she quietly begged.

He was satisfied then.

"Whatever is happening in your life… it's not worth it. I… I know that we're not like the best of friends… just… if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be around to listen. Okay?"

She nodded ashamedly.

"Thank you," she said in a small voice.

She sounded anything but grateful. But, she really was. She had suspected everyone else to react just how Rachel and Erica had reacted, especially Nathan. There had been absolutely no disgust or judgment seeping from his voice when he spoke to her. As thankful as she was for that, she now had to sit with him for the remaining half-hour of class.

The pair was quite successful in focusing on their assignment until the end of class. Nathan turned in their project to the teacher, as the bell rang. Everyone had zipped out of the classroom, all except for Haley, who was slowly piling her books into her backpack. She hoped that Nathan would leave with the crowd, but he seemed to be mimicking her speed. By now, the teacher had even disappeared; probably for a smoke break.

"Haley?"

She looked up from her book bag straps that she had been gripping tightly.

"I was serious, you know. If you feel like there's no one else to talk to, you can always talk to me. You may not care about me and my opinion, but you still have to keep our promise because there are too many people that do care about you,"

Haley quickly wiped away a tiny tear that had escaped the inner corner of her right eye, turning away from him.

"Thanks, Nathan,"

The two stood, slid on their book bags, and walked toward the door, ready to leave the classroom.

Wanting to reassure her of his support, he stopped before exiting through the door.

"Does somebody need a hug?"

That smug little smirk graced his lips and for some reason, it comforted Haley, rather than annoying her like it usually did.

He held his arms wide open, which she hesitantly walked into. That familiar scent of his mixed with his cologne filled her nose, calming her as she buried her face into his chest, trying her best not to cry. He wrapped his arms around her tight, appreciating how perfectly she fit into him. Reluctantly, they let go of each other. He gestured for her to walk ahead of him as they left the classroom.

Nathan shook his head from side to side, wanting to chuckle at his lame comment.

'_Does somebody need a hug?_ Real smooth, Scott,' he groaned inwardly.

--

_Dear Journal,_

_Until today, I never believed that a simple hug could mean so much. Corny, I know. Somehow, Nathan Scott keeps appearing in my life at the most strangest times. He's nothing like the stuck up jerk-off that I assumed he was. You know what they say about assuming—it just makes an __**ass**__ out of __**u**__ and __**me**__. Aren't I clever? Not really. But, anyway, he made me keep a promise—to stop doing… well, you know. I'm going to keep that promise. Not to mention, that I have to or he swore he'd get someone else to stop me._

_It was almost like an out-of-body experience to have someone who has quite an insignificant role in your life make you a significant role in theirs'. It was like in that moment, I mattered to him more than I mattered to Chris… to Lucas… even more than I mattered to myself._


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** Quick update, huh? I've been waiting to post this chapter up since it is a lot easier to write than the previous chapters. Have a Happy 4th of July!

**xoxo**

(**Disclaimer:** I do not claim anything related to the ideas, plot, characters, etc. to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, as my own.)

--

"So, are you coming home for winter break?"

"Well…"

Haley didn't even bother to let her boyfriend finish his sentence, knowing his exact answer.

"Chris, you couldn't even make it down for Thanksgiving. I mean, doesn't it bother your parents? Who doesn't come home for Thanksgiving?"

"My parents are pretty understanding, Haley. They know how important this is to me,"

He was referring to a local band that he had started up with several other schoolmates. They landed multiple gigs, but unfortunately during the month of their winter break. Of course, Chris was the only out-of-towner in the band, so the decision was ultimately unanimous. Haley was none too happy.

'Ever thought about how important I am to this relationship?!'

She wanted to scream into the phone, but instead mentally berated him.

"Let's see—Thanksgiving was out, Christmas and New Year's is a goner… when can I see you again?"

"You can always visit me. The offer is always on the table. I want to introduce you to my friends and… I wish you could see us perform,"

She sighed into the receiver.

"You seriously think that my mom or any mom would let their sixteen-year-old daughter go visit her eighteen-year-old college boyfriend over the weekend? Besides, where do I have the money for a greyhound ticket, much less a plane ticket?"

"Yeah… yeah, you're right,"

A minute stretched by before Haley finally said something.

"Chris, where are we going?"

Her question came out a lot easier than she had guessed it would.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what I—"

"I'm sorry, babe, I got to go. Can we talk about this later?"

"Bye,"

She slammed her cell phone shut, without waiting for his reply. Tossing her phone onto her bed, she seated herself at her desk, browsing the Internet for some research material for her Physics class. In her classes they had already been given their assignments and so for the second week of December, movies would be playing in classrooms all throughout Tree Hill High. But, it was Sunday night and since she did have school the next day, homework seemed the most appropriate.

Suddenly, she heard a light rapping on her bedroom door.

Haley looked up from her desk, surprised to see Lucas standing in her doorway. His eyes were glazed over and she realized that something was wrong.

"Lucas? What are you doing here?"

She pushed herself out of her seat only to find herself in the arms of her best friend.

"I fthought we weren't on fspeaking terms," she mumbled, her voice muffled by his chest.

He reluctantly let go of her, immediately running his hand down the nape of his neck.

"I always thought that I was good to you, Hales. But, it seems that… that everyone knows more about you than I do. Me—your best friend! I screwed up and…"

"What are you talking about? What do you mean by _everyone_?"

Tears began to well up in her eyes, causing her eyesight to blur.

"Mom told me about your parents and… well, Brooke told me about… you hurting yourself,"

"That's none of her business! And I don't need any sympathy from you!"

"Hey, I'm your best friend! It's me, Lucas! I want you to take everything and anything you ever need from me, whether you want it or not! I don't want to fight with you anymore, Hales,"

"You… you… don't know anything! I want you to leave! Don't let me disrupt you and your girlfriend's perfect lives!"

Haley may have been furious, but so was Lucas. He reached for her again, forcing her still in his arms.

"You're the most beautiful person I know! Listen to me, Haley!"

He struggled with her as she tried to twist away.

"Nnn… no!" She wailed, unable to pull away from his grasp.

"Haley! I love you! Your family loves you! Mom and Dad love you! You can't be so damn selfish! Listen to me, Hales… you're too precious! If you keep doing this to yourself… I'll… I'll do it to myself, too. I'm not going to let you hurt by yourself," His voice croaked from yelling.

The two were now crouched on the floor and he was keeping her calm, holding her steady by her forearms. She faced the floor, crying uncontrollably, watching as the beige carpet darkened as each tear fell onto it.

"Don't tell anyone, please, Lucas… I'm so embarrassed… so embarrassed…" she pleaded in between her sobs.

"Shh… come here, kiddo,"

He brought her into his lap, placing soft kisses onto her inner forearms and wiping away her continual tears.

"Do you remember when we first met? You didn't need saving, Haley. Those girls hurt your feelings, yeah, but you weren't crying. In fact, when they pushed you down, I distinctly recall the look on your face… it was pretty similar to a starved Rottweiler... haha. But, I knew that what they were doing was wrong and five versus one wasn't exactly fair. You've never needed protection, Hales, because you've always been so strong, without even knowing it,"

During his nostalgic recollection of their childhood memories, she'd ceased her crying. Amidst her sniffling, she even smiled with tears in her eyes at his comment about the 'starved Rottweiler'.

"I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend…" He said sadly, remorseful for the past two weeks.

"It's… it's… o… o… o-k," She mustered out, hiccupping in between.

"How about I make it up to you with a sleepover? Since we're just watching movies in class, my mom can write us a note so we can skip first period and have breakfast at the café,"

He winked at her with an excited grin, reminding her of their more youthful days. She hesitated to talk, still hiccupping from her hysterics just moments prior to.

"It's just that… I don't want you to be here alone… I'm assuming your mom is out,"

She nodded with a quick smile.

"Let's go put some cold water on your face, kiddo,"

--

Lucas held onto Haley's overnight bag, following her to his front door. Both he and his best friend noted the unmistakable baby blue bug parked beside the curb, in between the Roes' house and their neighbors'.

"Brooke?"

The young boy called her name, squinting through the dark, catching a shadow cast by a figure standing on his front porch. Without a word, the nervous girl stepped into the porch light, striding towards the two friends, but surprisingly dove for Haley, rather than her own boyfriend.

"Brooke?" This time Haley said her name, questioningly.

She'd been getting an awful lot of hugs in the past couple days.

While still hugging her tightly, Brooke began rambling,

"Oh, Tutorgirl, I know you don't like me… well, hell, you don't even really know me and I don't want you to think I was butting in your business, but…"

Haley unraveled herself from the girl's arms and said expressively,

"Thank you, Brooke,"

Then she hugged her again quickly.

"I'll be inside,"

Haley made her way up the steps, taking her book bag from Lucas, shutting the front door behind her.

"So, I don't know if I should be jealous of Haley's pet name or not,"

Luke focused his attention towards his girlfriend.

"I think 'Broody' takes the cake, though, don't you?" She asked with a small laugh.

"Hah, no comment,"

"Well… I'll be going now," Brooke said nervously, escaping her boyfriend's eyes.

"You don't have to go. You should stay," He offered gently.

"Nah, you guys need your 'best friend time'. Even though, I cannot imagine you watching chick flicks and inhaling pints of ice cream whole,"

She smiled broadly, a glint of happiness in her eyes.

Lucas chuckled at her remark.

"Brooke, you're amazing, you know that?"

He leaned in, kissing her affectionately on her forehead. As small of a kiss as it was, it still sent shivers down her spine.

"So, I've been told,"

Winking that adorable Brooke Davis wink, she kissed him briefly on the lips. Then she turned to leave, heading to her car, a feathery-lightness evident in her step.

--

"Her name's Carolyn,"

Haley grumbled then shoved a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and apple pie into her mouth.

"Wow… so, ten months?"

Lucas was overblown. He'd missed so much in just two weeks of his friend's life. He watched her nod hesitantly, eager to change the subject.

"So, tell me… do you know who else knows?" Haley asked rather bluntly.

"Oh… you mean…?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, Brooke and I, Rachel, and Erica… that's it,"

"Rachel, Erica… and you mean everyone that they decide to tell," she sighed deeply.

"Actually, Brooke threatened to reveal some deep dark secret about Rachel if she didn't keep her mouth shut… I think something about a picture… and well, it wouldn't look so good if the president of our class didn't do anything to help out a fellow classmate, would it? Don't worry, Hales, your secret is safe,"

She felt somewhat relieved then.

"I'm glad you were able to overcome it by yourself, but I'll never let you be in that position again,"

"I know,"

"Can I ask you a question, though?"

"Sure,"

"How did you stop? I mean, I'm so glad and proud of you that you did but… how did you decide to just… you know, stop?"

She glanced up at him, surprised by his question.

"There is actually one other person that knows…"

Lucas stared intently, waiting for her to continue.

"Nathan… Scott,"

She saw his crystal blue eyes widen with disbelief.

"What? How does he know?"

"We have class together, you know? And, well… he saw for himself. It was so weird, Luke. I expected him, of all people, to act the same way that Erica and Rachel did, but he didn't. The guy acted like he actually cared. He threatened me!"

"What do you mean he threatened you?"

"He made me promise to stop and if I didn't promise, he'd tell someone else who would make me keep my promise. I know that what I was doing was horrible… I just… it was nice to see someone like him come down from his pedestal to tell me that I was better than that,"

"Hales, you make him sound like some Greek god or some shit…"

He grimaced, sticking his tongue out at the thought. It was enough that the guy was captain of the Varsity basketball team. He didn't like how his friend was revering him like the best thing since sliced bread.

"All I'm saying is that you know and I know and I think everyone knows how much of a cocky bastard Nathan Scott can be. But, this was the first time I saw him doing something for someone other than himself. Whatever he did or said—that's what made me stop,"

She looked at her best friend who seemed quite speechless at the moment.

"What? Don't look at me like that,"

"I'm just… just a little surprised. Okay, I take that back… completely surprised. I mean, even when Nate plays basketball, which I think is the only thing he loves more than himself, he can be a prick to everyone. You see the way he treats Tim… and supposedly they're best friends,"

"Well…"

"All _I'm_ saying is for you to be careful around him,"

Haley recalled Brooke's similar warning and couldn't help but to laugh out loud.

"Lucas, whatever happened to your 'Haley the tough girl' speech? You're overreacting. You'd think the guy was plotting to take away my virginity or something,"

"Too graphic, Hales!"

Haley rolled her eyes before chucking a pillow in his direction.

--

"Oh, man, I am stuffed," Haley said with a lazy grin of satisfaction.

She and Lucas were heading out of the attendance office after handing tardy excuse notes, during the break between their first and second classes.

"I know. I'm about ready for a nap,"

"You're mother is every weight-conscious girls' nightmare,"

Haley commented, patting her tummy contentedly.

"Which means more for HALEY JAMES!" Lucas joked.

She glared at him fixatedly as they walked down the hallway. They came to a mutual area, being that their classes were on opposite ends of the school.

"See you at lunch,"

"Bye,"

As Haley walked towards her class, she caught sight of Gigi, a schoolmate as well as a fellow coworker at Keith and Karen's.

"Hey, Haley, do you have a second?"

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

The two fell in step with one another as it seemed they were headed in the same general direction, anyway.

"I know that you tutor every once in a while and well… do you tutor in Trig?"

"I definitely do,"

"Oh, that's great because—"

"Hales!"

Both girls paused, swearing up and down they'd heard Haley's name being shouted. Haley turned on her heel, searching for the top of Luke's head, assuming he'd been calling her name.

"Hales!"

There it was again, but no Lucas. But, then several feet away stood Nathan, staring at her expectantly. Haley smiled at her girlfriend apologetically to quickly see what he needed. She deemed that Nathan addressing her outside of class was even stranger than him giving her a hug the other day.

"Hi," she said with a bit of confusion in her eyes.

He bent down, opening his arms for a hug; Haley following suit. And then, she felt his lips graze her cheek, in what seemed a way too friendly greeting. Her eyes went round with shock. She was wrong. Nathan Scott hugging her, kissing her cheek, _and_ addressing her in public was way weirder than him hugging her within the confinements of their classroom with no one around. But, he didn't seem as stunned as she did.

In actuality, he was. He hadn't meant for his lips to stray there so forwardly. Occasionally, he greeted girls in that way, only when he was purposely trying to be overtly flirtatious, but he hadn't meant to do that to _her_. Haley James was better than that.

"Hey," he tried to brush off the awkward sensation growing in his gut.

"Um… hi,"

She looked like she was waiting for something. Duh! He had called her over.

He leaned in to quietly ask,

"How have you been?"

She wanted to laugh at the fact that he felt the need to whisper 'How have you been?', but she didn't. She was far too shocked by the kiss, as insignificant as it was to him, she was sure. She looked around anxiously, but no one seemed to have noticed except Gigi, whom she caught an excited glance from. Great.

"I'm doing pretty well, thanks," She smiled warmly.

"Have you been keeping your promise?"

Creases formed in his forehead indicating some sort of worriment as he waited for her answer. She nodded guardedly, hoping that no eavesdroppers might overhear whatever 'promise' they shared.

"Good. Well, I'll see you during fifth, little one,"

He smiled differently than he normally did. There was no smirk paired with a mysterious glint in his eyes. In fact, this one brightened his blue orbs and appeared almost… genuine. She wondered if this was one that he used on girls he didn't plan on bagging or just the ones that he felt sorry for. Maybe both. It didn't bother her, though; it was heart-warming only because she was sure that it was one that he didn't toss around just for anyone to see.

"Oh my God, Haley! That was so hot!" Gigi bubbled with teenage hormones.

Haley rolled her eyes at the girl's over-enthusiasm.

"It was hot because now I probably have about fifty other girls' germs on me or that I'm number fifty-one?" She asked sarcastically, unable to hold back a laugh at her own joke.

"Whatever. Anyone would have died for Nathan Scott's lips to touch them anywhere and those lips touched your cheek!"

"Breathe, Gigi, breathe!"

"You suck. You get Lucas Roe as your best friend and Nathan Scott as your what? Other best friend?"

"It does suck when boys only want to be your best friend,"

Haley pretended to pout, while Gigi continued to gush about what had just occurred. Though there hadn't been anyone close enough to actually eavesdrop on the conversation, there had been a couple of spectators.

Peyton watched the interaction between the two friends or acquaintances or whatever it was that they were. She tried to block off the signals in her brain that screamed with jealousy. She wanted to like Haley, but it was proving difficult with her boyfriend all over her. Nathan hugged and pecked plenty of girls, most of them, her friends. It never bothered her, but she couldn't help but notice that Haley was not just another girlfriend who understood that Nathan was off limits. Of course, that hadn't stopped her so-called friends, either, but Nathan knew when he was teetering on the edge. He certainly didn't seem to be noticing now.

"P. Sawyer!"

The engrossed girl broke out of her reverie as she heard her best friend's recognizable voice.

"Surprise, surprise. What are you doing here?"

"Always so good to see you too, darling,"

"Brooke, I thought you were going on that skiing excursion with Daddy and Step-mommy Davis," Peyton teased, tilting her head to the side to emphasize the word _Step-mommy Davis_.

"They lied," She said with flakey disinterest.

"But anyway, you wanna skip and go get some hot chocolate?" The brunette then added.

"Brooke, why did you even show up to school?" Peyton threw back her head with laughter.

"Duh! So, I could steal my bestest blondest buddy from the depths of Tree Hill hell,"

Brooke laughed with her, throwing her arm lovingly around her friend's shoulder.

"Nice alliteration, there,"

"What?"

"Never mind… let's go!"

The two girls headed towards the double doors, Brooke catching eye contact with Nathan along the way. She threw him a cautionary look because seconds before, she knew that those same blue eyes had been fixated on Haley's retreating figure.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** Hello, all! Thanks for all the supportive comments and reviews. I love it! Hope everyone's summer is going great—toasting in the sun, going places, staying out late, the works! Be safe. I really enjoyed coming up with this chapter. I struggled with the first section, but after that it was a free-flow of thoughts. It is a transitional chapter of the story, so enjoy and leave me any feedback. **xoxo**

**Disclaimer:** All characters, plot, ideas, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_ is property of its rightful owners, producers, and writers (not me, okay?).

--

"You two have anything _special_ planned for the evening?" Lucas wiggled his eyebrows for show.

"As suggestive as that was… I'm going to completely ignore that," Haley answered.

She was already doing this stupid 'hang-out' thing on a whim. The last thing she was needed was mockery from her best friend.

"What? Can't a guy be curious?"

"No,"

She grinned at him, turning to stare out of his car window. Old Man Winter had finally made his visit to Tree Hill and all students were out for the two-week holiday break. She blew out a breath, watching as the glass reacted to the warmth, fogging up and blurring her outside view.

"So, do you and Brooke have any plans for Christmas?"

Lucas smiled broadly, surprised by her question, before admitting,

"You know how Mom and Dad like dinner and all that… so, we're just going to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve and I'll see her the day after,"

"Like a date thing?" She asked quietly.

"Haley—"

She immediately caught the tone of his voice: concern laced with a hidden trace of pity.

"Don't do that,"

Ever since the rift between Lucas and Haley had been mended, he seemed to be extra careful with her. But, who in his given position knew how to give support without meaning to be overbearing? She knew he felt guilty. He was trying to make up for the past couple weeks or so of their nearly life-long friendship that had actually been lost. It didn't help that her parents had recently divorced, her mom would drink from Christmas, right on through the New Year and beyond, and her boyfriend was busy out chasing his own dreams. Okay, so maybe Lucas did have reasoning behind that sympathetic look on his face, but she hated that feeling of… pity. She was ashamed of the terrible decisions she'd made and the scars that were left behind. Absent-mindedly, Haley had slid her fingers underneath the sleeve of her coat, smoothing the material of her sweatshirt over the risen lines on her inner forearm.

"You… don't do that," Lucas gently replied as he softly placed his hand on coat-covered arm.

He moved back for a few seconds, waiting to see if she'd remove her hand. When she immediately did so, he placed his right hand back on the steering wheel.

"As girly as Brooke is, I think she pins Christmas as a partying holiday more than a romantic one. She's talking about planning another one of her 'small' get-togethers,"

Haley appreciated her friend's abrupt change of subject. They could be real with each other this way.

"At her house… again? You'd think her parents would've had a heart attack by now…"

She laughed a little, imagining what hell her parents would have been put through if every single one of their (five) kids had tried to pull the stunts that Brooke did.

"Uh, well… they're never around. I mean… I've never met her dad, though I have walked into a nasty argument between her and her step-mom," He said this slowly, quite sure that he was triggering some unnecessary reminders in his best friend's head.

Haley had forgotten. She forgot that just like her so many of her peers had undergone the same pain, the same confusing emotions, and the same resentment. Just like any other town or city, a good percentage of Tree Hill residents were divorcees and had previous marriages and in the more upper-class areas: multiple previous marriages. For a second she felt at peace knowing that she wasn't alone before turning around the mood of the conversation.

"I'll make note of that when I'm using the Davis' master bath to praise to the porcelain king,"

"That is so wrong,"

"Thanks," she replied with a pleased grin.

"So, why do you ask of our plans?"

"Oh, um… you should… of course, only if you want to… invite her for the yearly Roe plus one James Christmas dinner,"

She sent him a cheeky smile, trying to take attention away from the fact that Haley was actually outwardly inviting Brooke. For many years it had been Christmas dinners with Lucas' family; the James weren't quite so celebrant about the holidays. It was interesting to see Haley allowing an extremely important tradition to be broken for the selfless idea of making room for one more.

"You think so?"

His surprised expression received a loud, but brief laugh from Haley. Lucas looked at her questioningly.

"It's just… do you even remember growing up with these same people for the past few years? You may have gotten to know them a little bit better being the 'ultra-cool basketball star' that you are…"

He rolled his eyes with a big old grin on his face.

"… but, I just never figured Brooke, of all people, to become someone of importance in my life,"

Lucas didn't reply. Instead he continued driving, basking in her words; a hint of a smile on his features.

He pulled his pick-up onto the driveway and put the gear in 'park', leaving the engine running for heat.

"You nervous?"

"Oh my God, Luke. You're acting like I'm going on my first date or something!" She complained disbelievingly.

"Hey, all my support goes out to you both,"

She rolled her eyes before sliding off the seat and out the passenger side door. Lucas followed suit from the driver's side, still smiling, amused by his own jokes. He grabbed the overnight bag from Haley and gestured for her to walk ahead of him.

Haley rapped on the elegant cherry wood door, turning to look at her friend in a self-conscious manner. He supplied her with a comforting smile.

Within seconds, the door flung open; and a familiar brunette-haired individual stood on the other side.

"Tutorgirl! Finally!"

"Nice to see you too, Cheery," Lucas whined with a set of very convincing puppy eyes.

"Boyfriend," Brooke threw out seductively.

She then grabbed Haley's bag from his grasp and pulled him in for a brief, but tender kiss. Haley held back the urge to laugh at their outward public display of affection. Even though, Lucas was related to her in every which way except for blood, she was happy to see him so affectionate with someone. Brooke was Lucas' first real relationship and it seemed to be the very same for Brooke as well. Strangely, Haley decided quite recently that she wouldn't have it any other way.

(**Author's note:** Did you guys think Haley was going to hang out with Nathan? Hee. I hope so, because that was my plan. If I didn't trick you… boo you for being so clever. And now, back to the story.)

Brooke Davis was quite insistent when she expressed an invite, Haley learned very quickly. She had demanded a 'girls only' sleepover. The evening would include ice cream, sappy romance movies, at-home facials and manicure, and a mini-fashion show; apparently Haley had taken the role of Brooke's makeover project. Oh, what a night she had in store for her.

--

"Ouch, Brooke,"

"Beauty hurts, get over it,"

"Welcome to Madame Davis' House of Pain," Haley deadpanned.

"Ooh, I like that one," Brooke commented gleefully as she pulled away to observe her tweezing skills.

Haley was on the brink of laughter staring at her reflection in Brooke's bedroom vanity. She had rollers stuck in her hair, eye cream slopped on, and Brooke attacking her un-groomed eyebrows, now red from being plucked at.

"Are we done yet?"

"For now," she replied with a dissatisfied sigh.

Haley got up to stretch her legs while examining items in Brooke's room. She came across a framed photo of two young girls, immediately recognizing the blonde one. She decided not to mention anything.

"I told her that you were coming over," Brooke said from her lying position on her bed.

"What'd she say?"

"Nothing, really. She admitted that it was weird and it is, to be honest. But, I think you're a really cool girl and besides, if Lucas thinks the world of you, I'll trust his expert opinion,"

Haley turned to face Brooke before saying, "Thanks,"

"So, since we are getting to know each other on a whole new level and I'm very known for being a straight-forward person, tell me my little Tutorgirl, what's going on with you and Nathan?"

Haley's eyes widened so much that the under-eye cream from her left eye fell to the hardwood floor with a loud plop that resonated in the quiet of the bedroom.

"Sorry," she rushed to the bathroom, so conveniently and lavishly placed in the girl's bedroom, bringing back with her an excessive wad of toilet tissue.

The dark-haired girl propped herself on her side, using her hand as a headrest. An amused smirk sat on her face as her perfectly groomed eyebrow, in contrast to Haley's, curved upward.

"It seems that you've bonded with him. I've known Nathan Scott since middle school and he doesn't bond with girls. I mean, just look at our relationship—normal people say 'hi' in the school halls, but no, when we see each other we say whatever comes to mind,"

"What… what do you mean?" She hesitantly asked while still sitting on the floor.

"You know… like asshole, bitch, dipshit, whore, and—"

"Not that! I meant about me being friends with him. If he doesn't befriend girls… then… what am I?"

"That's what I'm asking you,"

"I guess… I guess that we're more like acquaintances. I used to think he was a prick, but he's actually not so bad,"

Brooke scoffed.

"Okay, look, I'm not saying this from a standpoint of Nathan's girlfriend's best friend, but rather as a fellow chica—he's still a prick,"

Haley sighed, getting up from the floor to join her brunette friend onto the comfortable king-size bed,"

For the first time, Brooke caught a brief glimpse of the scars that Rachel and Erica had seen. It had taken her aback momentarily, before she refocused on a subject she was quite passionate about.

"One second,"

She headed to her bathroom pulling out Neosporin and some gauze. She sat down, tucking her knees underneath, to face Haley.

"Now, I'm speaking as Nathan's girlfriend's best friend: he's a complete idiot. I despise the way that he treats her and how she just deals with it." Brooke pulled the other girl's hand into her lap, her inner wrist facing upward. Despite her bewildered gaze, Brooke went to work, popping open the tube of healing ointment. "I know how long it's been since you've actually known Peyton, but come on, who in the right mind would just 'deal with it'? He's cheated on her, you know that? And she still stayed with him for some reason." She began softly applying the cream to the wounds methodically, as if she'd done it before. "You have such beautiful skin, Haley. Maintain it," she added a bit sternly, but with a smile.

Haley was quiet, a curious glint in her baby brown eyes.

Brooke paused for a moment and placed the tube down. Flipping her inner arm forward she pointed at a faded mark on her golden skin, gesturing for Haley to look.

"That was one of many more. It took time, but every night before I went to bed, I always used Neosporin,"

Haley's mouth fell open, but she said nothing. Brooke smiled at her, a genuine smile of understanding, before returning to their current topic.

"Anyway, I don't want you think I'm trash-talking on Peyton. I love that girl. But, she and Nathan are _so_ not right for each other. But, they've been together for a while now and it's kind of like a safety net for her. Yeah, Lucas makes me feel safe, too, but we click as more than just boyfriend and girlfriend—there are times when we can just goof around and actually have fun. We act like kids, sometimes." She laughed to herself thinking about it. As she finished wrapping both of Haley's arms, she announced, "There, all finished,"

"Thank you. You know… there's more to Nathan than I think anyone knows, most of all, me,"

"Please, do tell," Brooke said sarcastically, but aware of the serious tone in Haley's voice.

"He was the only person to take a look at my… my flaws," she lifted her arms pointedly. "And say something… decent. At first, I felt embarrassed and ashamed and who knows what to expect from Nathan Scott, right? He didn't judge me like I was afraid of. He actually acted like he cared. He made me promise to stop hurting myself or else… he'd get help from someone else,"

Brooke eyed her carefully. The way that this girl was describing Nathan… well, it just sounded nothing like the Nathan that she knew. Of all people, he was the one to comfort her in her most desperate time of need. Of course, this wasn't an everyday situation and even Nathan, the most heartless of heartless, knew the severity of Haley's problem. One thing was for sure—she never heard Peyton speak of him that way.

--

Nathan palmed some pretzels into his mouth as NBA Live blared brightly on Tim's plasma TV.

"Dude, you blow!" Tim shouted with exasperation.

Nathan just grinned at the scoreboard as it popped onto the screen, taking a chug of his beer to wash down the saltiness of the pretzels.

"This is getting boring," Tim whined finishing the rest of his beer.

"Only because you're losing. When you're winning, it ain't so bad," Nathan smirked.

Tim sighed, getting up to shut off the game console.

"Aren't there any parties bumpin' tonight?" He did a little dance for emphasis.

Nathan shook his head from side-to-side good-naturedly.

"Brooke is supposed to have her Christmas Eve thing later on this week since her parents are out, as always,"

"Tell me about it," Tim begrudgingly commented.

"Hey, at least you're dad isn't here to ride you about basketball all the time,"

Tim thought about several run-ins he'd had with the infamous Dan Scott—a popular figure in the Tree Hill community, but a complete asswipe if he had anything to say about it.

"Yeah, you're right. You win,"

Nathan laughed, glad that he was able to cheer his friend up. This was how the two had bonded in the first place—a similar resentment to socialite parents that cared more for money and reputation than their own children, it seemed.

"Since your parents are gone, why don't we invite some people over?"

"Fuck no! Not after that other weekend. I ain't cleaning nobody's shit in my house again and getting bitched at by _Cheryl_,"

Nathan laughed heartily at his friend's quick reaction and high-pitched tone when he referred to his second step-mom. He watched as he walked over to his fridge to fetch another two beers and joined him on the leather couch. Tim flipped through the channels, after popping his can open.

"So, you're not heading over to Peyton's tonight?"

"Nah. I haven't even talked to her today,"

Tim found the conversation more interesting than the television, but pretended to be paying little attention.

"No late-night booty calls?" he joked.

"Shut up,"

"Speaking of booties, Luke's little friend sure has a nice one, don't you think?" Tim snuck a look at his friend before turning back to the TV. Bored to his wits end, he decided it might be an appropriate time to out his best friend's interest in the girl.

Nathan's eyes brimmed with surprise, but when he turned to his friend, he seemed more absorbed by the movie on the screen, than anything else.

"Who? Haley?" he questioned back with nonchalance.

"Yeah. Remember? The one that you hugged and kissed? That was some PDA, man. She's not even your girlfriend, bro." Now Tim had turned away from the TV. "You hug some girls, yeah, but you kissed her; what the hell was that? If Peyton saw that… she'd have your balls in a jar or some weird shit like that…"

Nathan involuntarily cringed.

"You like her, don't you? I mean, she is cute. But, are you trying to hit it and quit it or what? I thought after the last time you cheated on Peyton..."

"I'm not trying to 'hit it and quit it'." He said between grit teeth. "She is cute… but, she's not just another lay. She's different,"

Tim had never seen his best friend like this and it unnerved him. He already knew that Haley James was no ordinary Ravens' fangirl or groupie. But, he also knew Nathan's history with girls and he had already screwed up with Peyton far too many times. It was almost gutless the way he felt something for Haley when he already had his arm around someone else.

"Doesn't she have a boyfriend? Some college guy or something?"

Nathan scoffed at the thought of Chris. He wondered if he even knew about Haley's recent troubles. Probably not—stupid pansy-ass douche bag.

"He's not even around." He hadn't meant it come out like, but judging by the look on Tim's face, it was interpreted exactly how it sounded.

"So what? You think that Haley is going to break it off with her college boyfriend because you think she's cute?"

"What the hell, Tim? I don't need your bullshit! I'm just saying that I think she's cute… and… and different," He said the last portion quietly. "I don't know! I like her. She's cool and I… I want to get to know her. I know it's fucked up to have feelings for someone else when I'm with Peyton… but… I do,"

"Then, break up with her," Tim flatly stated.

"I… I… can't," Nathan finally admitted with defeat.

"You'll only end up hurting her,"

But to whom Tim was referring to: Haley, Peyton, or both… neither boy had a clue.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** You guys asked for some Naley-ness, so y'all are getting it! Be patient with me, though. Some of these chapters are crucial for the development of this story. Thanks again for all your comments and suggestions. I do appreciate it. (**Disclaimer:** All characters, plot, ideas, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_ is property of its rightful owners, producers, and writers.)

Enjoy,

_**SJ**_

--

Haley sat in the front seat of a black Ford Explorer, rethinking in her head for the hundredth time, 'How the hell did we get here again?'

Lucas sat in the driver's seat of car, way too sober for his own good, as Brooke and the owner of the car, Nathan, sat in the backseat passing along a tiny makeshift joint. Apparently, there was one good thing Californian cousins were good for, coming from the words of Nathan Scott.

Haley took a swig proportional to her body, what might've been a sip to someone else, out of a small handle of Southern Comfort. The rotation of alcohol went round and round, missing Lucas, entirely. She took a quick look at the designated driver who only stared right back as she wiped some whiskey from her lips. Lucas always knew how to make a person feel bad without even trying. She saw the tension diminish from his lower jaw, as he began to laugh at an obnoxious and vulgar comment coming out of his girlfriend's mouth. That pissed her off. Nathan and Brooke were in the backseat smoking pot and she was drinking a bit of liquor—was she the only one who hadn't lost her mind? Granted, both actions were illegal, being that nobody in the car was 'of age', but alcohol, itself, was totally legal. She sighed, sliding down into the front seat, even further than before. She could be bad, if she wanted to.

She peered out the window to examine their surroundings, thankful for the bitter cold, which kept everyone inside. Her line of sight drifted onto the side-view mirror, bumping into Nathan's steely blue eyes, eerily dark from his current relaxed state. He winked at her in addition to dazzling her with his well-practiced smirk, forcing her to tear her eyes away from his gaze. Again she wondered, 'How did we end up here?'

--

Lucas hadn't meant to get caught up in a game. Originally, he had gone to the river court to kill some time until he had to pick up Haley from Brooke's. Skills and Jake were already there; then Nathan had shown up, via Jake's mass text message to recruit more participants.

About fifteen minutes into the game, Brooke's unmistakable baby blue beetle pulled into the neighboring parking lot. Although, their sleepover had come to a close, the two girls decided to cheer along the sidelines as their friend's played some friendly basketball. More so, Brooke refused to miss out on an opportunity to see her hubby in sweaty action in all his basketball glory and Haley didn't have a ride. Compromise, as Miss Davis liked to call it.

Jake and Nathan had won by several points, but with the girls' supportive cheers, anyone else would've guessed that the other team had won. Eventually, Skills and Jake went home, but somehow Nathan lingered and no one complained.

Like all other high school kids during winter break, they were bored stiff. When Nathan and Brooke paired their minds together, the two spelled out trouble—with the help of her fake I.D. and his random connections. And this was how they had ended up in their current situation.

--

Haley was starting to feel sleepy, probably from the small amount of liquor that she was drinking and not to mention that Nathan had a windows-up policy when smoking weed in a car—people may detect its identifiable scent if the windows were down.

"Nathan," she called out softly, handing him back the liquor bottle, continuing the cycle.

He grabbed the neck of the bottle, letting his fingers dangerously slide over hers. She eyed him accusingly through the side-view mirror, but he looked unmoved. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She lay back into the seat some more, feeling the bass of the music streaming from the car stereo. As she shut her eyes, her sense of hearing seemed to perk up. The radio sounded so distant. Lucas keeping up in a strange conversation with Brooke and the sound of liquid swishing around in a glass bottle blended in the background, as well.

Suddenly, she felt broad, strong fingers gently rubbing her small shoulders. In any given situation, Haley James would have swiveled around, taken those fingers, and bent them backwards. But, this wasn't just _any given situation_. Nathan was probably high and drunk and being stupid. She felt somewhat unsteady, herself. So, she stayed still, hoping that Lucas would notice and help her out.

Hot-boxing the car meant that everyone in the car, including the non-smokers, was going to get high. Haley took note of this because Lucas' judgment seemed quite clouded at that moment. He was immersed in some off-the-wall analysis of Steinbeck's _Cannery Row_ and the funny part was that Brooke was actually being attentive. How convenient. Should she say something to him? She really didn't feel comfortable with Nathan's hand, now on her right shoulder blade, rubbing small circles. As soothing as it was, his girlfriend's best friend was in the car and Lucas would flip out, no doubt.

Haley gradually slid up, trying to straighten herself out. Then, ever so slightly, she pulled forward inching herself away from his reach. He pulled away then. She sighed with relief, hoping he'd gotten the clue.

Next thing she knew, Nathan had lurched forward, draping his arms around the head of her seat, pressing his forehead against the back of it, and his fingers grazing her shoulders, once more. This caught the attention of Lucas and Brooke, who stared for a second, before cracking out in fits of laughter. God, he didn't even smoke and he was just as high as she was.

Haley fidgeted with discomfort, but then she heard a low-voiced plea, "Haley, don't move, please?"

She stopped her movements immediately. He didn't sound so great.

"Nathan, are you okay?" she coaxingly asked.

"Just don't move… please… not yet," he struggled to say.

Without trying to move a muscle in her body, she snuck a look at the side-view mirror to catch his facial features. His masculine shoulders were hunched over, but he had raised his head in effort to meet her eyes and reassure her with a sincere smile.

"Nate? Are you okay, man?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah… can… can you open… windows…" he mumbled.

"Shit," both Lucas and Brooke cursed.

As soon as Lucas lowered his window, Nathan was making all sorts of guttural noises, his arms now hanging out of his door. Brooke watched with disgust, feeling a bit queasy, herself.

"Brooke, rub his back or something," Haley suggested worriedly.

"Trust me: you don't _ever_ want to touch him when he's throwing up. I know… from experience." She then whispered to Haley, "He feels vulnerable."

Nathan's wave of sickness had had quite the sobering effect on everyone, so their night ended right after. And with three-fourths of their little group incapacitated to drive, the Davis' residence seemed like the most logical and parent-free environment to crash at for the evening.

--

Nathan awoke the next morning with his pulse ringing in his ears and his throat aching for water. He immediately recognized the fancy Italian leather couch he was laying on, having had the opportunity to pass out in Brooke's living room numerous times. His mind flooded with thoughts as he tried to recall the reason for his less than pleasant condition.

He raggedly pulled his body upright letting his feet drop to the floor. A half-groan half-grunt came from the ground just as he felt his feet stepping on something _human_-like. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, he peered down to find Lucas laid out on several blankets.

'God, this guy sleeps like a log,' he thought with little amusement. His head hurt too much for him to laugh at his teammate conked out on the floor with a frilly, lavender comforter twisted in between his legs.

"You're up early for someone who barfed out a lung last night," Brooke snidely greeted him, stepping out of the kitchen with a bottle of aspirin and a tall glass of water.

Ignoring her usual witty temperament, he slowly walked over to her and took the bottle out of her hand. Only after he had taken two aspirin and polished off the entire glass of water, did he finally speak to her.

"What do you—"

"Remember what happens with _Natey-poo_ when he mixes too much alcohol with a teensy bit of weed?" She cut into his question with a rhetorical question of hers in a baby-like, mocking tone.

He let out a loud, almost anguished groan. How could be so stupid? He had far too many ugly outcomes when he had a night of both weed and alcohol. It was a killer combo. If Brooke were a guy, he'd probably slug her right in that smirking face. But, she wasn't and unlike some of the guys that he knew, Brooke would actually punch him back with full force.

"Anyway, can you drop me off at that park? Our cars are still there," She briefly brought out her dimples with a bright smile, before it disappeared into a quick frown. Even the 'Queen' had bad mornings, he guessed.

He wondered, but did he dare ask? He did.

"How did Haley get home?"

"Oh, she didn't go home; she slept with me," she said in that signature sultry voice of hers, smiling once again for good measure.

"You sure Peyton wouldn't be jealous?" He retorted, rolling his eyes at her vulgarity even at… however early it was in the morning.

"You know… I could ask you the same question," She shot back, her challenging tone remaining subtle.

They glared at each other for a few seconds, ready to pounce on one another, before Nathan finally relented, "Where are my keys?"

As they shuffled towards the front entrance to leave, they missed Lucas, who despite his unmoved position, was now wide awake and pondering very deeply what exactly it was that those two were fussing about.

As the two… uh… friends sat in the car waiting for the heater to pick up, Nathan tried to figure out her mood, so to speak. He was confused. For one thing, if she was Peyton's best friend and had let on to his _interest_ towards Haley, why was she acting so damn calm? He had been concealing his attraction to her quite well, he thought. Then there was this weird relationship that was starting to form between the two girls. Knowing Peyton, she may not outwardly bash her best friend's new friendship, but he knew she wasn't the type to just be understanding.

Now that he thought about it, he sucked at hiding his feelings. Peyton was the first person to point it out, but he refused to let her believe that. Then, Tim and now… Brooke: big-mouthed Brooke, better known as the gossip of Tree Hill. Shit.

"God, Nathan!" Brooke huffed with aggravation.

"What?!" He yelled back, surprised by her sudden outburst.

"Any decent guy would've started the car before we actually had to get in! I'm freezing my ass off!"

He let out a small breath of relief.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Brooke asked from the passenger-side, looking past her window at her front yard. It was rare that he heard her voice that serious and that quiet.

He put his car in reverse, concentrating on backing out of her driveway. "What do you mean?" He, too, avoided meeting her eyes.

"What are you doing… with _her_? With Peyton?" There was no resentment seething from her voice, nor accusation. "Haley… she's different. She's been through so much, just like everyone else in this dramatic town, but chooses not to show it,"

Nathan nodded slowly, waiting to hear her rant about how awful and conniving he was to be in Haley's life; to be involved with someone so… much better than him.

Brooke snorted, before saying, "I've never been around someone so smart and stupid at the same time." Now driving down her street, he glanced at her briefly, slightly irritated by her comment. "She doesn't know, does she?" She asked, adding to her aforementioned statement.

Nathan let his fingers drag around the indents of his steering wheel as anxiety started to tense up in his muscles.

"I'm not trying to interrogate you…"

"Then, why don't you focus on your own damn relationship!" He shouted, his nervousness getting the best of him.

"Because Peyton is my best friend and Haley is my boyfriend's best friend! Even if the two of them had nothing to do with me, you're wrong for what you're doing and know damn well know it!"

The two were quiet then. She didn't want to nag him. She had no right to for she and Nathan were made of the same stuff. Well, she used to use that as an excuse, but not with Lucas. He and Haley must have been made from the very same stuff because she was pretty sure that Haley made Nathan feel the way that her boyfriend made her feel.

"I love Peyton. I won't get involved in your relationship with her, but if you hurt her… I swear to God, Nathan… and I know that Lucas feels the exact same way about Haley,"

"Tell me something I don't know, Brooke," He said impatiently, wishing that the car ahead of them could speed up.

"Something you don't know? Or something you refuse to believe?" She waited for him to answer, but he seemed to be more focused on the drive. "You and Peyton suck together," she quietly admitted with a small sigh, before turning her attention to the houses on her right.

--

Peyton stared with an unhappy glare at the poor selection of ice cream flavors. She'd been eating a lot of the frozen dessert, as of late, despite the cold weather conditions. Then, she glanced down into her basket, to jog her memory of forgotten items on her mental grocery list. Looking at the jar of tomato sauce, box of spaghetti noodles, and ground beef, she then walked past the ice cream section to grab a box of Texas toast.

"Having an Italian night?"

She shut the glass door, which sounded off with a big thud, as she turned to face her commentator.

"Oh, hey Jake," She said, relieved to see a familiar face she didn't mind seeing. Then her eyes bugged open, peering briefly into Jake's cart—diapers, wipes, baby food, and various junk foods.

"Looks like you're having… uh… a baby night?" She asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh…" His face reddened slightly, as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

'How cute.' Peyton thought, while watching him react from embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm nosy,"

"No… it's fine. I'm helping my aunt out by baby-sitting. We don't really have enough girls in our family, so… yeah, I'm… baby sitting,"

The blonde-haired girl couldn't help but be fascinated by his demeanor. Never in her days would she see Nathan Scott baby-sitting, or a lot of the guys she knew, for that matter. Jake was honest and sweet.

"That's really cool of you," She said sincerely, smiling at him. "Aren't we ahead of the times," she commented with a small laugh, easing the awkwardness that seemed to settle between them.

"What do you mean?" He asked in that easy, gentle voice of his.

"Well, I'm here getting stuff for dinner and you're here getting stuff for… well, a baby… I feel old, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders, still laughing.

"Nah, I don't feel old. I feel grateful for whatever comes my way. Painful or not… it added to my life experience… never took anything away, you know?"

Peyton listened intently, never realizing how intense Jake's grey eyes were. She felt stupid for the dumb comment she made, not that he actually made her feel that way. He wasn't defensively opposing her ideas like Nathan did so well. He was just confessing something… something that had meaning his life.

The two stood still, alone in the frozen food aisle. Peyton didn't really know what to say after that. He just looked past her, like he needed to say something else.

"I lied," Jake confessed.

"About?" Peyton asked. Usually when someone lied to her, it infuriated her, especially when that someone was always Nathan. But, Jake didn't owe her anything.

"I'm not baby-sitting for my aunt. My aunt is actually baby-sitting for me. I… uh… had to get some things for… my daughter,"

"Oh… wow," was all she could muster. But, even as she tried to make sense of it all, there was something about the look on Jake's face. She'd never seen him like this before, but at that very moment she could see it clear as day—pride.

She smiled, his emotions seeming to rub off on her. "What's her name?"

Jake awoke from surreal daze he felt from telling someone about his pride and joy. "Jennifer. But, we call her Jenny,"

"That's a beautiful name. I'd like to meet her one day,"

"You will,"


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note:** Hey everyone. Thanks again for your comments/reviews. What author doesn't enjoy a bit of recognition? I just really appreciate it when readers enjoy the story because it makes my writing feel worthwhile. I mean, don't get me wrong… I love writing, too. What can I say?—Nathan and Haley just make an inspirational couple. Anyway, this particular chapter has a different… er… format (?) from my other ones. I did it this way, so you readers wouldn't get confused… I got confused just trying to put this thing together. I know you guys will love this chapter. (**Disclaimer:** All characters, plot, ideas, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, is property of its rightful owners, producers, and writers).

Enjoy,

_**SJ**_

--

_**3:06PM**_

"Brooke, _that_ is a lot of red bull," Lucas noted, as he watched her load the cart enthusiastically.

"Well, we are having _a lot_ of Jager," she informed happily.

"Why?" He asked with a grimace on his face. He preferred beer to anything else.

"It's Christmas-y,"

"How is Jagermeister 'Christmas-y'?" He was eager to hear this explanation.

"Well, first off… it's like peppermint liquor, isn't it?"

"Licorice…"

"Oh… well, it's still candy, right? And the bottle is green and the label has a picture of a reindeer or deer… or something like that! I've even heard it's made of deer blood, which we all know is total BS, but makes it even more Christmas-y! Anyway, red bull kills the taste of anything—vodka, rum, probably whiskey… _and _makes for a fabulous Jager-bomb," She clasped her hands excitedly, adding another case of red bull, but sugar-free this time. "That's mine," she smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I know… you have enough sugar pumping in your veins, as is," he teased.

"But, that's what makes me so sweet," she teased right back, winking at him cutely. "Now, come on, we have to get cups!" she barked.

He rolled his eyes, resuming his position as the cart-pusher.

"So, who have you invited?"

"Let's see… everyone who's still in town," she replied blatantly, staring at plastic cups with tasteless cartoon snowmen on them. "Ugh… too cheesy,"

"Is Nathan still in town?" His question came out bluntly and randomly.

Brooke turned on her heel, still holding onto the snowmen cups. "Uh… I think so… why?" Then, she resumed her focused attitude, a bit more forced this time, returning the sleeve of cups onto the shelves. She held up another set disappointedly, this time of green and burgundy plaid, but too big for shots and too small for beer.

"I think you know why I'm asking," Lucas said, slowly pulling the bag away from her hands and carefully placing it back onto the shelf.

Brooke turned away from his alluring crystal blue eyes. He knew how to easily persuade, alarming, only because usually that was her trade.

"I don't know what he's trying to pull… but, I won't let him hurt Haley," Luke said, in all seriousness, lifting her chin with his finger to bring Brooke's eyes to meet his.

"Luke, you're talking to me like I'm apart of it, like I have control over what he does… like I want her to get hurt," she scoffed, pulling away from his touch. She used to not care. At one point, she didn't even believe in anything more than physical attraction… pure lust; now she knew better. She understood the circumstances—four individuals pretending to be in love with the wrong people. "How do you think I feel? Peyton is my best friend!" she hissed, upset by his accusatory tone.

"You knew about it, though, yeah? And you never said a word. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to stand on the sidelines and let _my_ best friend get hurt,"

"You don't know anything." Her voice was disturbingly low and quiet. "From the years that I've known Peyton and Nathan—I knew they were never good enough for each other. They weren't good for each other. Period. I understand… how he feels. I used to be like him, Lucas; don't pretend that I wasn't. People change and life moves on. You can't protect Haley forever. She's her own person, who can stand on her own two feet; you never give her credit for that."

The couple stood silent for several seconds, staring at the patterns on the linoleum floor.

"I'm sorry," Her boyfriend apologized, realizing his fault for pushing blame on her. "After what she went through… the one time in her life when she really needed me… I messed up so much that I wasn't even there. I know I'm overprotective. I just don't trust him."

"You're not the one that needs to trust him," She simply said.

He nodded grimly, knowing, but not liking her reply.

--

_**7:22PM**_

_Dear Journal,_

_After sleeping over at Brooke's house for two days in a row… coming home to an empty and quiet house just seems wrong. Call me crazy, but Lucas is picking me up to take to her house again for her Christmas Eve party. That girl can pull a party out of her ass for just about whatever occasion that fits._

_Mom left on a trip to Barbados with a couple of her single friends from work. She needed it. She's been… not as mean… since the truth came out. She told me that nobody else knows… but, I'm pretty sure that Quinn does. I talked to her the other day and she was sensitive to my well-being much more than usual._

_No comment about Dad. He's fallen off the face of the earth, yet again._

_So, I'll probably stay at Luke's, as much as I can, especially since the annual Christmas dinner is on in like two days! I can't believe I'm not still full from Thanksgiving. I totally don't understand how Lucas doesn't get fat… though I can see a little pudge on Keith… kidding!_

_I hope Chris is having fun with his mini-gigs… without me. I got him a new set of guitar strings and a nice guitar case, probably being shipped to him this very instant. He probably doesn't deserve it. Jerk._

After a few minutes of staring blankly at the half-empty page, Haley gave up and began furiously scribbling away with her pen to fill the white with black.

--

_**9:47AM**_

Nathan stared at the LCD on his phone, watching as a picture of his girlfriend appeared on the screen. After his previous night of 'poor choices', his father had him back on his morning regime of a two-mile run and an hour of weight-training. He was showered, dressed, and eating breakfast by now, but Peyton usually didn't call this early, especially if there was no school.

"You're up," he said with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah." Peyton's tone was bland and bitchy. What else was new? "I just wanted to let you know that my dad made some last minute changes to our holiday plans. We're driving up right now to Virginia to see family,"

Nathan was surprised. It was partially due to the fact that she was already on the road, but mostly because Larry Sawyer wasn't known for his quality time with his daughter, according to her anyway. "Really? What's the special occasion?"

"Uh… Christmas, apparently," She sighed. Since her mom's passing away her dad was never the same. She had never really talked to Nathan about it; all he knew was that her mom had lost to the cancer. There was nothing more to say.

"So, are you gonna be there till New Year's?"

"I don't really know. Look… I got you something… but, I'll just have to give it to you when I get back,"

"Peyton, I—"

"Nathan… things suck right now, I know. Let's talk about it, when I get back, okay?" Peyton interrupted, ignoring her father's presence. He wouldn't ask questions about her relationship; that was a mother's job.

He sighed loudly, using the spoon in his free hand to weigh down his frosted flakes as they drowned in milk. Why did confrontation have to be so damn complex?

"Yeah, okay. Have a safe trip. I'll see you when you get back,"

"Thanks… alright, bye,"

After he had hung up, he tossed out the rest of his cereal with frustration. He felt distracted by the remainder of their conversation that needed to be brought up, yet still hung heavy in the air.

--

_**11:41PM**_

The party was in full swing and had been several hours ago. It never took long for a party at the Davis residence to get started. The drinks were flowing freely in plain red and green plastic cups; the hostess had given up on picking out something spiffy and settled for something relevant, instead.

Haley stood in the confinements of an upstairs bathroom, with Brooke's permission, of course. Standing in front of the mirror, she adjusted her winter white scoop neck sweater, deciding that it made her look quite virginal. She pulled at the hem, bringing it right over the button of her jeans, but then noticed the amount of visible cleavage had increased. She frowned, tugging at the neckline to bring it right back up, thus showing a slide of skin above her jeans. She sighed tiredly. "Can't win, can I?" She argued with herself, her expressive brown eyes staring right back from her reflection.

She sat down on the toilet seat, not ready to step back out into the chaos. Haley didn't feel like drinking and the thought of chugging beer before it could meet her taste buds didn't sound so appealing.

This was only her second party, ever, and she already felt disconnected from her peers. She couldn't decide if this intuition made her intelligent or just weird. She just wanted to be alone for a while, but not at her home—it was too ugly of an environment.

Unfortunately, her thoughts were cut off by a heavy knocking on the bathroom door.

Startled by the sudden noise, she shot up from her seat and checked herself in the mirror before slowly opening the door.

"Hey, Haley… right? Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. It's just… I really… really have to… you know. And the line downstairs is too long. I'd go outside, but it's too damn cold,"

"No… it's fine. But, um… you know I don't think Brooke would…"

"I asked. I know her rules. Just about everyone does," he said with a shrug and an uneasy laugh. He really had to go.

"Oh, okay," She answered quickly, noticing his obvious discomfort, and stepped out into the hall. She wondered how he remembered her name. He really wasn't the type to acknowledge her by name, but he was on the basketball team with Lucas. From the brief talk they'd had, she could see why Luke considered him such a goofy guy.

She stood at the top of the steps, pausing as she thought to herself, 'What was his name again?'

--

_**12:16PM**_

"Tim."

"Dude… we're on break. Why do you have to wake me up so early?"

"It's noon. Get your ass up and come over,"

Whenever Nathan called, most of the time, it was to hang out and play some ball. He played every single day and on occasion, had the urge to play with others. Tim always gladly accepted.

Tim dribbled the basketball with one hand, while warming his other with his hot breath. Nathan watched as he sluggishly jogged down the court and did an easy lay-up. He brought the ball back, passing it to Nathan.

"So, Peyton's going out of town?"

"Yup,"

"What does that mean?"

Nathan threw the ball into the basket with just the right amount of spin, so that it would return to him. But, he let it roll past him and onto the lawn.

"It doesn't mean shit," he narrowed his eyes, confused by Tim's question.

"Dude, you are in denial." Tim shook his head from side to side, a lopsided grin on his features. "What makes you think that once everyone is feeling a little tipsy, you're not going to trying to do _something_ with Haley? Especially since Peyton is gone…"

"Haley's not that kind of girl. I'm not trying to do anything," Nathan replied somewhat heatedly. "I'll just blow it if I do something stupid. I'm not that dumb to think that she'll just forget that we have our… significant others,"

"But, don't be dumb enough to think that nothing's going to happen. The only way 'nothing' will happen is if she doesn't go to the party… well, since it's more likely for her not to show than for you to,"

Nathan looked at his friend; he wasn't going to disagree with that.

--

_**11:47PM**_

"Haley! Brooke's been looking all over for you,"

Before she could reply, Bevin instantly wrapped her lengthy arm around the petite girl, leading her towards the kitchen. It was funny how in certain environments you could make insta-friends with just about anybody.

"Go! Go! Go!" Simultaneously the crowd shouted as a two guys held up another one, upside down by the legs, as he tried to down as much as he could from the keg, beer spilling on his face and onto the floor.

"Tutorgirl! Where have you been? I've been hoping for you to get your turn on the keg-stand!" Brooke squealed, her drink sloshing from her cup.

Haley smiled awkwardly, imagining herself in place of the boy, beer all over her face. "No, thanks." She looked around for Lucas, hoping he'd lay down some of that overprotective brotherly love right about now. But, as the excited chanting died down, her eyes enlarged when she recognized Lucas to be the guy who had just taken the keg-stand.

"Well, there goes my ride," Haley said, rolling her eyes as she let out a sigh.

"I could give you one," a deep voice said from behind.

She turned around quickly, surprised by the closeness of the individual.

"Hey," She smiled, relaxed by a friendly face.

"Hey," Nathan grinned back, always warmed by her genuine smile. "Merry Christmas,"

"Merry Christmas to you, too. I'm surprised so many people are here… it's Christmas Eve, you know?" She laughed a little.

"You're here,"

"Yeah well, my mom's in Barbados, so I guess I got off easy,"

"Just your mom?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah…" She turned away, pretending to enjoy actually seeing her best friend getting wasted. "Um… could you excuse me for a second?"

Nathan watched as she squeezed her way out of the kitchen. Obviously, her mom wasn't a comfortable topic. He felt defeated, but refused to give up. Looking around quickly as to not draw attention, he then slipped away, following her.

--

_**12:42PM**_

"Your game is shit today, man," Tim said, watching his friend pull out two Gatorades from his fridge.

Nathan scoffed, tossing a bottle to Tim. "I couldn't concentrate. Why don't you say it a little bit louder so my dad can hear?"

"Sorry," He sheepishly apologized.

There was a silence as the two boys emptied their sports drinks.

"You still thinking about her?"

"Nah… just stuff,"

Tim shook his head from side to side. "Bull shit. You're thinking about _her_,"

"So? What's wrong with _her_?"

"She's not your's to think about," Tim deadpanned. "I already told you what you need to do, man. You can't just play two fields at the same time. Like you said, she's not like that… so what do you want from her?"

"I'm not _playing_ anything. I just… I've never broken up with anyone before… well, Peyton's been my first real relationship—"

"Real?! Dude, if that's a 'real' relationship, I don't wanna know what your 'real' marriage is gonna be like," Tim laughed, receiving a dirty look from his best friend.

Seeing Nathan's reaction, he stopped his laughter and cleared his throat. "What do you want from her?" He repeated.

--

_**11:50PM**_

Haley grabbed her coat from the closet and opened the front door. The cold wind felt like a breath of fresh air, as she stepped onto the brick patio. She knew that no one would be out front. After all, the party was inside. She slid on her pea coat, pulling her gloves from the pockets and putting those on as well. Seating herself on the brick steps, she watched her breath curl into steamy clouds as she sighed with relief.

Suddenly, the door opened with a creak and she looked over her shoulder to see Nathan, again.

"You're not trying to walk home, are you? My offer still stands," He smirked as he shut the door behind him quietly.

"No, I wasn't planning on walking and… there's no one at home, anyway," She said, her eyes gleaming from the moonlight.

Haley scooted over, allowing him to take a seat beside her. He brought his hands together as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"What about your dad?"

"He's shacking it up with his… uh… girlfriend, I guess. My parents are divorced," She said disgustingly.

"Haha… you say it like they're the only ones,"

She eyed him carefully; it wasn't everyday that people laughed at your parents' divorce. She so used to the concerned apologies and words of encouragement.

"My mom is my dad's second wife. I have a half-brother, or something like that… never met him, though,"

"Wow," she softly replied. Suddenly, she felt pretty stupid and even selfish.

He liked the shape her mouth made at that moment, but looked away. It was so tempting.

"So, you worried about senior year?" he said, changing the subject to get his mind off things.

"I'm more nervous about the year after senior year. What about you?"

"Yeah, that'll be a hard time, too. You'd think after twelve years of schooling… it'd be enough," he grimaced, thinking about all the university brochures his dad had been shoving down his throat on a consistent basis. Of course, these particular schools had only the best basketball teams.

"Aren't you excited for college? I am. I can't wait to get out of here…"

"And go be with your boyfriend?" He suggested.

His question caused her to look at him, but he was busy star-gazing, more so avoiding her eyes. She turned away, not willing to face him as she answered,

"No,"

--

_**12:45PM**_

"Nothing. I don't want anything from her. She doesn't need to give me anything… she just… man, this is fucking gay!

Nathan sealed the cap on his emotions, refusing to admit his feelings to Tim, of all people. Tim wasn't the one who needed to hear this. She did.

"What are you gonna do?" Tim questioned, testing his best friend's mood.

"I'm going to tell her,"

Tim's eyes bulged at the remark. "What?!"

"I'm going to tell her, tonight," he repeated, his eyes focused elsewhere, nowhere really, for his mind was reeling.

"Whoa… _what_ exactly are you going to tell her?"

"That I like her. How I really feel about her,"

Tim didn't say anything. His attempts to discourage his friend were pointless. It was inevitable—what Nathan Scott wants, Nathan Scott gets. You could either jump on the bandwagon or get pummeled over.

--

_**11:54PM**_

Nathan turned to the left, staring at her and trying to figure her out. Whatever her answer meant, it didn't matter. It did, though, have his blood pumping and his heartbeat speeding up.

"I have a question," he slowly said, waiting for her to look at him.

"Sure, go ahead,"

"Have… have you ever liked anyone… you know, while being with your boyfriend?" He asked nervously.

Immediately, she bit down her bottom lip, unsure of where this conversation was leading.

"Um… what do you mean by 'like'? I mean… I've thought guys were… cute… I guess…" Haley wasn't sure why she was answering his question. Normally, she deemed topics like these as inappropriate.

"I mean like… 'like'… not just physically, but I guess like a crush," Nathan waited and looked at her like her tutees would look at her, but when they were discussing something safe… like gerunds.

"Why? Do you 'like' someone? Even though… you obviously have a girlfriend…" Her eyebrows lifted with curiosity seeing him react to her question. "You do like someone! Tell me who! Please? I won't tell! Who is it?"

There was a growing feeling in her chest. She couldn't tell if it because he trusted her enough to discuss his love life or… something else, perhaps.

"No… it's okay… you don't know her. But, I mean… have _you_ ever had a crush on anyone?" Nathan turned it around. He wasn't ready; not just yet.

She pointed to herself. "Me? A crush? Hmm… I… I really don't think so. I've thought a lot of guys were good looking, but I never took the time to get to know them… and that's how you judge whether you really 'like' someone or not… don't you think?

"Yeah… yeah… I guess,"

"Having a boyfriend kind of defeats the purpose of getting to know any other guys…" she said matter-of-factly. "Don't get me wrong… I've… dated other guys… but, it wasn't the same. I knew at the end of the night… I'd be getting a phone call from Chris, my boyfriend, by the way,"

"Just a phone call?" Nathan asked teasingly.

Haley sighed. "Yeah. Don't do long distance. I'm telling you from someone of experience… it can work, but it's not very…" she tried to search for a word. "It sucks," she admitted quietly. "Anyway… are you gonna tell me who you like? Or do I have to beat it out of ya?" She joked, deciding that she'd rather talk about him than her.

Nathan shook his head side to side with a smile. Not yet.

"Okay, fine. Hmm… are you sure I don't know her?"

"Well… you might…"

"Does… _she_ have a boyfriend?" She asked this, pointedly referring to the fact that he had a girlfriend, again.

"Yeah,"

"Nathan!" She exclaimed with shock. "You have a boyfriend and she has a girlfriend! I mean! You have a girlfriend and she has a boyfriend!"

"So?" He shrugged his shoulders in that careless, macho way of his, earning a disapproving look from Haley.

"Do you know her boyfriend?" She asked, now carefully considering the fact that she, herself, had a boyfriend. That didn't exactly qualify her as 'crush' material, but it didn't disqualify her either. Actually, nobody had ever had a crush on Haley James; except for maybe some of her middle school tutees.

"Yeah… kind of…" Whew. He didn't know Chris.

"Does she know?"

"Nah,"

He smiled through the dark, knowing that his short answers were probably irritating her.

"Are you going to tell her?"

He didn't answer. He just sat there with that stupid smirk. The two were now facing each other completely engrossed in their conversation.

"Why do you like her? She… she must mean a lot for you to just… like her even though you are both with other people…"

How could she not know that she was sitting there… talking about herself? Nathan was losing his patience, but he held off a little longer.

"She's… she's beautiful—inside and out. She's sweet and cute… a great listener… she… she drives me crazy. I think about her…"

Nathan looked into Haley's eyes, seeing confusion swarming in those warm brown eyes as she tried to fit the puzzle pieces. He wished she could read his mind screaming at her, 'IT'S YOU!' But, before he knew it… he'd already gone and said it.

"Haley… it's… **it's you**."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's note:** It's definitely been a long time in updating this fic. So, thanks for the wait for those who were reading this story and for all the awesome feedback. I hope you guys will enjoy it. It moves the story along at my own pace, just to warn you. BTW, I LOVE HOW THE NEW SEASON IS GOING SO FAR! Nathan and Haley always seem to prevail, don't they? True love endures. And Jamie… is too cute… and has an even cuter nick name – Jimmy Jam! Ah. Too cute. Anyway, have a nice weekend all! (**Disclaimer:** All characters, plots, ideas, etc. related to the television series, _One Tree Hill_, is rightful property to its owners, producers, and writers).

**Author's edit:** Hey, all. I made a slight mistake. So, I made a small correction to this chapter. For clarification - everyone is sixteen-years-old and in their junior year of high school. I tried to make that clear in the previous chapter. I just took out the part when Haley says that five months from now they'll be graduating. No graduating. Not for another year! Thanks for all the support and love everyone! Chapter 17 will be up soon.

Enjoy,

_**SJ**_

--

"Haley… it's… it's you."

Haley squeezed her eyes shut for a fleeting second, from tasting blood on her lip. She'd been biting down too hard.

Nathan turned his chin down, his usually stone cold blue eyes expressive with expectancy. He was waiting for her to respond.

Yet, all she could was muster was, "Oh,"

Her mind became flooded with recent memories of him – and how he seemed to show up at the most random of times. As random as they had been, they had seemed to have been her most vulnerable as well. Like the whole French fry deal, which she may have overreacted about; and coming to a class where she didn't know anyone and he'd willingly stuck out his hand. Then, there was _that_ time; when it felt she'd been stripped naked and he'd been the one to see it first… to say something about it.

Being the logical one that she was, she began to slowly piece together reasoning, something sufficient to explain why. Because she had opened up to him? After all that had been said and done, had Nathan really found an attraction to her?

Despite the frosty nip in the air her cheeks grew hot, embarrassed by his blunt and definitely crazy declaration.

"NATHAN!"

A drunken Tim stumbled out the front door, precariously holding two unopened longnecks.

Nathan and Haley turned their heads, feeling reality return to them as they caught glimpses of their boisterous high school peers intertwined with plastic cups, inside the house. And just as that feeling had come to them, a similar awakening sensation came to their newest companionable addition, in the form of sobriety.

"Shit. My bad. Was I interrupting?" He asked cautiously, knowing full well that he had.

He couldn't help but feel contempt; contempt that Nathan couldn't have both Peyton, the beautiful cheerleading leggy blonde with actual intelligence, _and_ Haley, the subtly sexy girl-next-door with a loyal and charming personality. It wasn't fair to either of them. He glanced over at his long-time best friend, knowing that behind that forced grin, he was pissed.

"No!" Haley suddenly exclaimed.

She stood up abruptly and walked past the two boys, without as much as a glance at either of them, and discreetly shut the front door.

The two friends stared at the candy apple red painted door, watching Haley's silhouette through the window walk away. Nathan peeled his eyes away, turning back to face the house across the street, before his friend did; his pride wounded and his feelings still raw.

"Here, man,"

Tim handed his friend the lukewarm bottle, which was okay, considering the cold weather. Nathan appreciatively took the beer – it'd be his second, tonight, considering that he'd wanted to be almost one hundred percent sober when he made his confession. Even on his first, he'd taken it down slowly, only to calm his nerves. And that was over two hours ago.

"I'm assuming you told her," Tim pried, knowing it was best to do so while the wound was still fresh. Give Nathan two minutes and he was a closed door.

"Yeah," he finally answered, after taking a swig of his drink. "Bud light? Who wasted their money on this crap fest?"

"I don't know. I just saw it in the pantry. Probably Brooke and her dad's credit card,"

"Obviously, I didn't really get the reaction that I wanted, but I'm not that surprised… I guess," Nathan suddenly admitted.

"Well, she was pretty serious with her boyfriend, right? And… you're sort of serious with Peyton. I know you said you'd probably break it off before college, but what about Haley? If you start something with her now, are you going to break that off before college, too?"

Nathan groaned out loud, annoyed that lately, Tim seemed to know way too much more than people gave him credit for.

--

The party had died down and for the half hour, Haley had been zoned out on _Home Alone_. She along with a small group of Tree Hill High's finest were parked in Brooke's living room, along with the 'Queen B', herself. It was only half past one, so it was pretty early, but with it technically already being Christmas morning, everyone had gone home to the warmth of their families and their traditions and their presents. Haley was jealous. She had wanted to retire, but with Lucas and Brooke all over each other and not to mention his current intoxicated state, there was no way.

Her cell phone buzzed within the confinements of her coat pocket. After the confrontational conversation outside, she'd refused to take it off – feeling insecure for some reason. She stepped into the kitchen to take the call.

"Hey, Chris,"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He yelled, his syllables slurred together. And an unfamiliar female voice had been synchronized with his. But, she didn't care.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she said, trying her best to smile over the phone.

"We performed tonight! And we rocked the fffffuckin' house!"

"On Christmas Eve?" She asked, but realized the contradiction, considering that she was at a house party. "I'm glad. I'm sorry I wasn't there,"

He laughed. And it was one of those tear-jerking, gut-wrenching, laughs. "No, you're not," he managed to say, after a few seconds.

"Whatever, Chris. You're drunk,"

"So, what if I am drunk?!" He angrily spat out.

"I don't want to talk to you right now and for a long time after that. In fact, why don't we just talk when you get home? – If that's even in the realm of possibility,"

"What the fuck does that mean?!"

"You know exactly what that means! Do you know how many times I've seen you… this year alone?"

He was quiet, but she could hear his breath harsh and ragged over the line.

"This is not a relationship, Chris. This is something you have fun to do when you come home and your life… your life is in Illinois. It's not in North Carolina, anymore,"

He sighed and she could tell that her words had had somewhat of a sobering effect on him. "You're right, Hales… about the long distance. But, I've asked you to come here… apply for a school around mine and we could move in together…" His words dripped with a syrupy sweetness. It was unsettling how he failed to dispute her definition of their so-called relationship.

"I understand that Illinois is where you want to be. And I now I want you to understand that, here in Tree Hill, is where I want to be. This is my life, this is my town."

"So, that's it?" He sneeringly remarked, skepticism in his question.

"No. There's more. I can't do this anymore. We're done… well, I am, at least,"

"What?! You don't mean that, babe. I know you're upset, but we don't have to do this,"

"You're right. We don't have to do this and I'm not going to. It's not fair for either of us. I want you to have fun where you're at without any constraints. I need someone here with me. Or at least someone who comes home on winter break, summer break, spring break… someone that I can see more than two weeks and a couple of weekends out of the whole damn year,"

"So, you have someone there… with you?" There was an undertone of sadness to Chris' voice.

"Well, it sounds like you obviously do," Haley responded, obviously in reference to that girl whose voice overpowered the background of wherever he was at; whatever he was doing.

"She's just a local band groupie," He defended.

She rolled her eyes, feeling stupid more than feeling hurt, although it was a close second.

"You didn't answer my question, Haley. Is… is there someone else?"

"I… I don't know,"

--

Nathan sunk into the familiar couch, having had just been on it earlier in the week. He smirked at the sight of Lucas and Brooke, getting pretty hot and heavy for all to see. But with the exception of himself, everyone was too plastered to notice. What an odd couple.

Thinking to himself, a little revelation came to him. As good friends, Haley and Lucas were eerily alike: soft spoken, intelligent, laid back, and extremely loyal to one another. And he had always known that he and Brooke were similar. Both his family and the Davis' had moved to Tree Hill during the seventh grade and for the longest time, everyone thought he and Brooke had been fraternal twins or something. So, did that mean that a relatively similar chemistry flowed between Nathan and Haley as it did for Brooke and Lucas? Well, first of all, he didn't think that he and Haley were odd together… and they weren't even a couple… just yet. He smiled, retracting his original observation of his teammate and friend.

He looked up, hearing foot steps coming his way, to meet eyes with _her_.

"Does your earlier offer still stand?"

He blinked once. Twice.

"I just think I should be getting home," Haley gently explained.

"Oh, yeah. Sure, let's go,"

She thought about offering to drive, but he wasn't even drunk. And she appreciated that more than he knew.

The car ride was quiet, with his radio turned down so low that their breathing was heard above it. The rest of the ride was that way, until they finally pulled into the James' driveway.

"So, you're spending Christmas by yourself?" Nathan asked.

He had a glimmer of hope that maybe… she could invite him in. He'd rather spend Christmas with her than with his family, anyway. She looked confused. "You said you're mom was in the Bahamas… or something like that?"

"Oh… shit. Yeah… she's in Barbados. I can't believe I forgot. I was supposed to go to Luke's tonight,"

Without even thinking, his grip on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw clenched. Haley seemed to notice his tenseness.

"It's tradition for me to eat Christmas dinner with the Roe's. I'm like their surrogate daughter and they're like my surrogate family." He didn't seem to react to this at all, so she then added, "I even have my own room,"

"I'll drop you off at Luke's. Can you just tell me how to get there from here?" He said, while pulling out of the driveway.

"Uh… yeah,"

She asked him to stop the car at the end of street, not wanting the Roe's to be disturbed. She knew that they needed to save their energy for Lucas, whenever he got home, if that was in his plans.

"Well, thanks," she said quickly, her hand touching the door handle.

It was quiet on his side of the car, so she turned to finally face him, for the first time since they'd been in the car. He was staring ahead at the windshield, his features stiff. In the light of the street lamp, the creases on his forehead and jaw line stuck out, making him appear older.

"It's nice to know that all I'm good for is a ride," He finally made out, in a low, bitter voice.

"What?"

"What the hell am I?! Your chauffeur?"

The volume of his voice was rising and for the second time that night, Haley felt scared to be around him, alone with him.

"I don't understand why you're being like this," she fought back.

Nathan put the car in park and shut off the engine.

"You want to know why I'm being like this? You haven't said anything to me this whole car ride except for the fact that you needed to be dropped off somewhere else. And all you have to say is 'thanks'!"

It occurred to her that, it was true, she hadn't spoken to him. But, what was she supposed to say after that awkward moment outside of the party? She knew the real reason to his anger, and it was just underlying this stupid argument. God, she was tired of fighting.

"You have just as much capability as me to start a conversation, Nathan!"

Nathan dragged his hand down his face and turned to face her, forcing himself to look her straight in the eyes.

"You just walked away from me..."

"I… I didn't know wh… what to say… I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Nathan,"

"Haley,"

The two said at the same time. He gestured for her to continue.

"It won't work. You have a girlfriend, Nathan – who just so happens to be someone I've known since I was five! And… I have…" she began, almost forgetting. "… well, you know what I mean,"

She looked away, focusing on her gloved fingers, instead. It was so hard to not like him, she realized. But, to delve into another relationship less than thirty minutes after having just ended one, while he was still involved with his… it was impossible. But, she knew her feelings for Nathan had developed long before this very moment.

He didn't respond; he didn't know how to.

"Maybe if things were different, Nathan. Right now, it probably sounds like a good idea… to be apart of the moment… but… but…"

She ran out of arguments, support, excuses to why it wouldn't work. But, she did have one more thing to say.

"I'm not one of your play things and I won't be one of the nameless girls that you've cheated on Peyton with! I deserve better than that… and if you like me so damn much, you would know that!"

He looked at her with a mixture of hurt and anger in his cloudy blue eyes. He'd made mistakes, in his life, he was reminded everyday when he looked himself in the mirror. But, he knew deep down that Haley James was not one of them.

Nathan watched her exit the car and practically run in the direction of her best friend's house.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's note:** I know it's way past the Winter holidays, but that was where my story was left off. Please bear with! And again, I know that this Naley relationship isn't fast-paced, but it's getting there. I really liked writing this chapter, though. Hope you guys like reading it as well.

Susie

--

"Haley?"

Karen crept through the slightly ajar door, hoping the young girl was still alive. It was unlike her to sleep in so late, especially on Christmas morning. Getting closer to the bed her heart ached for the teenager when she noticed that her eyes were puffy, a clear sign that she had been crying. Running her hands through Haley's hair, she pulled a few untamed strands away from her face. It reminded her of when she had first met the vivacious little eight-year-old whose hair was always pulled back haphazardly, a bushy tail of chaotic curls. Karen knew that Haley came from a large family and that Mrs. James hardly had enough time to keep up with all six of them. So when Haley would come over to play, Karen willingly combed and untangled the little girl's locks. She enjoyed it, since with Lucas she could not enjoy the same motherly tasks.

Haley stirred awake, feeling the warm touch of something along her face.

"Good morning," Karen greeted softly.

"Hi," Haley's voice cracked with exhaustion.

"You alright?"

Haley didn't respond and chose to nod her head slightly. The look of timidity was replaced by one of revelation on the young girl's features. "What time is it?"

"It's a little after twelve," Karen replied sweetly.

"I… missed… Christmas morning… ?"

Karen chuckled softly and sat alongside the girl on the bed.

"Don't worry. You weren't the only one. Lucas is out cold; which I would assume so after coming home at almost 6 in the morning,"

"Ouch," Haley winced at the thought of what Lucas had to go through, hung over and probably horny at 6 in the morning. _That's what you get for doing a keg stand and doing a Brooke – little perve_, she thought.

"'Ouch' doesn't even come close. He's lucky that Keith was fast asleep,"

"Oh, hell yeah he is," Haley smiled, and then it vanished, last night's events flooding her memory.

"You sure you're alright, kiddo?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah – I'm fine,"

"Haley, I know you haven't talked to me about your parent's divorce. I have talked to your mother a few times. I… I don't want to bring it up if you're not comfortable and the reason is not because you can't handle it, but because I want you to be ready to bring it up to me. You're a responsible and practical young lady and I know that when and if you want to discuss whatever's on heavy on your heart, you're not afraid to approach me,"

Haley sat quietly for a few minutes, avoiding meeting Karen's eyes.

"I just want you to know I'm here. Keith is here. And, I'm sure you already know that Lucas will always be here,"

The young girl quickly moved forward, embracing the older woman, hiding her face and the tears that threatened to fall.

"Thank you, Karen,"

Lucas' mother smiled warmly, getting up from the bed. "So, you ready to get up or you think you need another hour or two?"

"I'm… going to hop in the shower and I'll help you with dinner. Lord knows you already started,"

--

The ladies bustled in the kitchen, working with homemade recipes and mostly everything from scratch. As many times as Keith had offered to help; Haley swore that his wife was going to slap him with her wooden spoon, so he had retired to the family room to preoccupy himself with the sports channel.

"Merry Christmas!" Haley excitedly greeted, watching Lucas drag himself into the kitchen.

She took a quick break from stirring the cranberry sauce, putting a lid on the pot. She watched her best friend warily watch his mother, whose back was to them as she dropped ingredients into the noisy mixer.

"Two questions: how'd you get home last night? And, why didn't you take me with you? I got in so much trouble,"

"You were supposed to be my ride and because you decided that you wanted to impress your girlfriend with a five minute keg stand, I had to improvise. And, you were still… 'impressing' her when I left, anyway,"

"Gross, Hales,"

"Whatever, you're not the one who has to watch,"

He rubbed his eyes, still heavy with sleep. "So, who took you home? You didn't walk, did you?"

"Um… actually… Nathan gave me a ride home,"

"Nathan? Since _I_ was a little tipsy, you got a ride home from _Nathan_?"

"You – were so much more than a little tipsy. And what's wrong with me getting a ride from Nathan?"

"At parties he kills more beer and liquor than the whole basketball team combined. I can't believe you trusted him,"

"Well, surprise, surprise – he was sober _and_ I trusted him,"

Lucas winced at the recollection of his conversation with his girlfriend.

"_After what she went through… the one time in her life when she really needed me… I messed up so much that I wasn't even there. I know I'm overprotective. I just don't trust him."_

_Brooke had looked at him with such a lost expression, but with a sigh, she had said, "You're not the one that needs to trust him,"_

"Haley! Cranberry sauce!" Karen's usually calm voice rang out.

"Sorry!"

Haley ran back into the kitchen, leaving Lucas with his own thoughts and a killer hangover.

She turned the heat to low, allowing the finished cranberry sauce to simmer for a few minutes, when the doorbell rang.

Karen caught eyes with Haley, a questioning look settling in her eyes. Haley shrugged, walking to the front foyer, while wiping her hands on her apron.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Brooke," Haley smiled genuinely at the sight of Brooke, so fashionably bundled up, clutching a _Honey Baked Ham_ paper bag.

All of a sudden, Brooke turned around and snapped, "Hurry up, Nathan!"

Haley's eyes grew big and round as she watched Nathan coming down the walkway, struggling to carry several wrapped presents.

Brooke then swiveled back around displaying puppy dog eyes and asked, "It is okay that I brought, Nathan, right?"

Obviously, it had been a rhetorical question, for the cheery brunette had walked past Haley and had already gone in.

"Not my house," Haley said out loud, more to herself than anyone.

"Huh?" Nathan looked at her dumbfounded.

After what had happened last night, she considered bringing it up. But, with the clueless expression on his face and him struggling with gifts, she decided that it could be put on hold for now.

"Here, let me help you," She reached for a couple of the boxes, lightening his load.

Nathan admired the feminine apron wrapped around Haley's small waist. It was cute. But, the look on her face told him that she hadn't forgotten about last night.

He followed her inside the house, placing the presents under a fresh Christmas tree, adorned with all sorts of trinkets.

"Nathan?" Lucas asked, watching as his teammate exited the den and entered the kitchen alongside his best friend.

Suddenly, all four teenagers were standing into the middle of the kitchen, with Keith and Karen on either side of them. Obviously, Luke had just stepped out of the shower, for he was clad in nothing but his basketball shorts. Both his mother and girlfriend had been quick to notice. Brooke smiled gleefully, finding her boyfriend's naked chest quite sexy and completely excited to be spending Christmas in a real familial setting.

"Lucas. Shirt, please," Karen instructed.

"Hi, you must be Mrs. Roe. I'm Brooke, Lucas' girlfriend. Um… this is for the dinner,"

"Thank you, Brooke. Well, it's nice to finally meet you,"

"Brooke, nice to see you again," Keith greeted, having bumped into his son's girlfriend once at the café. "And, Nathan is it?"

Keith took a firm hold of the dark haired boy's hand, shaking it. Nathan smiled, still trying to figure this family out. The Roes were so different than his own parents – warm, genuine, and down-to-earth. Maybe sane.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you Mr. Roe,"

"Are you and Brooke… brother and sister?" Luke's father asked, unsure of the two house guests and their relation to one another.

All three kids started laughing, soon joined by a fully-clothed Lucas.

"Nate's on the team with me, dad,"

"Well, I like to cook in large batches, so there is plenty of food to go around," Karen said kindly, shaking Nathan's hand as well. Haley caught the look between her best friend and his mother, realizing that Lucas hadn't had a chance to ask his parents if he could invite his girlfriend, much less a random teammate.

--

Soon enough, Nathan had joined Keith in the family room for some ESPN and Brooke and Lucas were in his bedroom doing… whatever. Every ten minutes or so, Karen had convinced Haley to check on the couple. For the third time, Haley willingly headed down the hall walking ever so lightly. She stood in front of Luke's bedroom door, listening for any… sounds… other than talk.

"I'm sorry,"

"You could've asked if you were going to bring him,"

"It was just last minute, Lucas. And with Haley here, I knew there was no way you'd say yes,"

"Look, it's not that I don't like the guy. I just don't like him with Haley and… Peyton is your best friend, Brooke,"

Haley twitched uncomfortably at the mention of her name and Peyton's in one sentence.

"God! What kind of person do you think I am?! I didn't bring him over here so he could pounce on her. There's more to it,"

"Brooke, please quiet down. I don't want anyone to hear us; especially my parents,"

There was a slight pause. "There's more to it, Lucas, and you just don't understand,"

"What is there to understand? Nathan wants to get with Haley, even though he has a girlfriend and she has a boyfriend,"

Haley's mouth fell open; she realized that the breakup had been so quick, so fast that no one knew.

"Okay, so maybe Nathan really does like Haley. But, he doesn't even like Peyton anymore. And trust me, I think the feeling's mutual,"

"What? Haley likes Nathan?!"

She gasped to herself, forcing herself to be quiet.

"No! Well, actually I don't know. But, I'm saying Peyton doesn't like Nathan, anymore."

"Well… well, whatever. They're still together. Doesn't that account for anything anymore?"

"Lucas. I'm going to tell you this because you mean so much to me. And for the first time ever I'll admit that maybe I know a little too much for my own good. But, this stays between us. None of this _Gossip Girl_ stuff with Haley,"

Haley stifled a cackle. Lucas had admitted that Brooke had forced him to watch several episodes, after she'd caught her broody best friendly watching the show intently on TV.

"What is it, Brooke?"

"Before Nathan and Peyton got together… all three of us were pretty close."

"And?" His tone was expectant.

"You know what my family is like. Nathan's is the same. After Peyton's mom died, the three of us would find some way to avoid… this. We never had this… a nice family with a nice dinner every single year. I think Nathan's parents tried, but his dad is… well, you've met his dad at the father-son games,"

Lucas nodded slowly. He'd met Mr. Scott on brief occasion – he'd walked in on him ripping Nathan a new one. Of course, the team captain had a reputation to uphold. So, when Lucas had asked his teammate if he was alright, Nathan had brushed it off and told him to mind his own business.

"Peyton's out of town and since you invited me here… I just didn't want him to be alone. I kid you not… I'd probably have another party if… if you hadn't invited me here…"

Lucas softened at her admittance. Returning his attention to his teammate though, he asked, "What about Tim and all his other friends?"

"They have their families too… I mean, you obviously do too. But, when you invited me and told me that Haley comes every year… I just thought that if I invited him, he might appreciate it more than having to stay at his house. Since I've known Nathan, there was one year in eighth grade that he tried to have Christmas dinner at home. I was staying with Peyton and her dad. Then… Nathan came over later that night. With… with a bruise on his face."

"Haley?"

She straightened up and looked to find Nathan staring at her curiously.

"Are you spying on Lucas and Brooke?"

"No… well, yes. Just making sure they're not going at it like rabbits. After all, this is his mom's house who just so happens to be in the kitchen… near knives and things like that."

Nathan winced. "I was definitely about to use the bathroom… and now I don't even have to go anymore."

A hint of a giggle escaped her lips. He smiled back. And then an awkward silence settled in.

"You know… we should talk about yesterday. I mean, we did start talking about it, but it kind of got cut short… by me. So… yeah…"

Nathan nodded in agreement.

She checked with Karen if there was anymore she could help with. After receiving a firm 'no', she and Nathan seated themselves on the Roe's front porch.

"Whoa… déjà vu…" Nathan nervously joked.

"Well, it was this or finding a room in the house besides Lucas' bedroom." Looking at the expression on Nathan's face, she added, "It ain't a motel, Scott."

He smirked at that to which she smirked right back.

"I've had a lot of weird Christmases, but I'd have to say that I never expected anything like this," Nathan admitted.

She thought of what Brooke had been telling Lucas – how this guy who was envied for his perfect looks, perfect talents, his perfect life… did not have the picturesque life that everyone thought he had. As bad as she thought her so-called family was, she suddenly felt selfish and naïve in the decisions she'd made within the past year. Nobody's life was perfect.

"Yeah, me neither."

Their attention fell on a game of touch football a few houses down and on the other side of the street. They watched boys of various sizes, probably all under the age of ten, running around on the front lawn. They laughed and laughed, the wind carrying their voices to Nathan and Haley's ears.

"Is it still like that… for you?" Nathan was taken aback by her question but he knew exactly what she meant by it. "Well obviously, it's different because you play for state championships… but, do you get that same feeling when you play?"

"If I'm playing a pick-up game with the guys… then yeah, I know what it feels like. Never in an actual game though… have I ever felt that. I play basketball because I love it but that's not the same reason why I'm on the team. You don't become the best at something because you love it. But whether it's a stupid game with my friends or the state championship which, we will get there this year – I always get the same feeling at the end of it… if I win. It's the best feeling in the world and nothing, not even a good time with my friends… can top that."

She watched his youthful blue eyes as they carefully studied the children at play. With the bat of an eye, his gaze was focused on her. "Actually, there is one thing..."

"Hmm?" She responded with an unsure smile.

"There is one thing… or person, I should say, that tops the feeling I get at the end of a winning game. But I'm sure _you_ already knew that." The expression on his face did not falter; he didn't smile nor frown. He just looked at her, right through her seemingly.

"Nathan—"

"Haley, I'm sorry about the way things turned out yesterday. I don't regret telling you the truth, though, if that's what you want me to apologize for. And I know it's not fair because you have your boyfriend and—"

"Actually we broke up." Her face reddened at having blurted out this fact so quickly.

"Oh."

"It… it had nothing to do with you, you know? I mean… I broke up with him because the long distance was aggravating and… I… I don't have to explain this to you, do I?"

"Not at all." Nathan laughed; he figured it was the only way to stop a dumb smile from forming on his face.

Haley scoffed at the fact that he seemed to find her break up comical. "Thanks."

"Oh, come on. He was kind of a wack job."

"Nathan. You met him once."

"Yeah, but have you talked to him when he's drunk? At Brooke's party, he kept referring to himself in third person like 'Keller this' and 'Chris Keller that'. And from a guy's perspective – he was a little too touchy-feely."

Haley burst out laughing knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Hey!" The two turned around immediately to see Brooke sticking her head out the front door. "Dinner's ready! And I get to set the table!" She ducked her head quickly back in.

The two looked at one another knowing that their conversation would have to be put off once again. But Nathan had made his peace. He let her know his feelings were real but with Peyton still at his side. And as for Haley she was newly single. But her emotions in all this were still an untouched subject.


End file.
